Venus Admonition: (the first half) Dreaming
by Anna-mathe
Summary: (FFIV - 3 years after Masters' Poison) Toroia plays dirty, Kain has a problem, and there's something wrong with the Espers.
1. The Prelude

Prelude

NOTE - again, as is the case with the others, all material in this fic is based solely off the gameplay (of the American version), unless I and/or my colleagues made it up.So . . . Cecil's hair is purple, no one has last names, and everyone's as old as I _say they are, fussy!_

The majority of this fic takes place three years after _Masters' Poison._

Everyone have funsy!

)---------- Venus Admonition ----------(

by Anna-mathe

)---------- Prelude

For the past three years, four of the five major countries of the world, Baron, Damcyan, Eblan, and Fabul had existed in peace and each contributed to completing the restoration of the others after the havoc a year before, when Zeromus released his wrath on the world through Golbez.And they intend to continue doing so.

The fifth, however, remains a wildcard.

One year ago, one of the Toroian Clerics, for unknown reasons, fled her Kingdom with her single child, an eighteen-year-old girl, and vanished without a trace.

The other Clerics were, for more unknown reasons, bent end over end to find them both, and had combed the world over as much as they could.However, their jurisdiction ended once they entered the territory of another Kingdom, and so their quarry remained at large for a full year before word finally reached them from an anonymous source as to the location of their missing sibling and her offspring.

Now they just had to find a way to remove their errant sibling from the safety of Baronian jurisdiction.


	2. In Which, Leviathan discovers dirty work...

In Which, Leviathan discovers dirty work afoot.

----------)Part One(--------à

(Dreaming)

1)---------- In Which, Leviathan discovers dirty work afoot. 

"Yet another day completed without a major crisis," Kain reported."We're on a roll."

"Not hardly," Rosa sniffed."Our economy improves a bit, and next thing you know, everyone in the Kingdom becomes a spoiled brat."

"They do that on purpose," Cecil told her."Just to make us feel like we have to work for a living."

The door squeaked open and a little purple-haired toddler toddled in, bumping into Kain's leg and falling on the floor with an odd squeaking noise.Automatically, the Dragoon scooped her up in one arm and set her on his shoulders.

"Major crisis?Hm.On second thought, Cecil, we _do have a major crisis.Your daughter is bored."_

"No, she just does that when she wants attention.And you being such a ham, you spoil her."

"Who's the ham around here?" Kain jibed at him before turning and leaving, depositing the Princess on Rosa's lap and heading back to the mound of paperwork he had waiting for him.

***

Kuijata sat at one side of the table, Phoenix at another, and Asura at the third.

At the fourth side, of course, sat Rydia, another of the ancient documents she kept poring through spread out in front of her.

"If you'd rather not tell me," she again insisted, "it's all right.I understand."

Kuijata shook his head adamantly.

"Nope.I want to know.I should know, I think.And since you dug the stuff up, you should know, too."

Rydia blinked at the monster, still feeling a little uncomfortable with this situation.

Her many years living in the Land of Summoned Monsters had been dedicated to studying, whether it was of Calling or of Black Magic.Either way, a lot of her time was spent reading through the files kept in the Library.

And now, not for the first time, she'd gotten in a bit over her head.

Asura sighed, folding and unfolding her many hands rapidly in front of her.

"How best to explain this . . . " she murmured under her breath.Tossing a glance to Kuijata, she admonished, "We were going to wait until you were a little older to tell you all this . . . "

"I _am a little older," he replied airily._

Frowning with all three faces, Asura said nothing.Rather, she went back to folding her hands.

Phoenix just sat there, looking back and forth between them, ruffling his feathers at random.

Rydia stared at the paper before her.

Kuijata was just a child.Little more than a toddler.She'd known him since he was just a baby monster, wanting to know why she didn't have fangs like him.

So how was it that she'd found a record of his actions for twelve thousand years ago?

"Well?" the monster in question prompted his Queen.

Asura glared at him, sighed again, and finally began to explain.

"Kuijata . . . you won't remember any of what I'm about to say."

"Obviously.Because I have no idea what any of this is about."

"That was part of the point.Well, actually . . . it wasn't.Anyway . . . "

"Anyway?"

"Anyway.Yes, twelve thousand years ago was the last time you were in action as a Summoned Monster.Back when humans still used the Materia Orbs.Um . . . for a long time after that, you might say nothing happened.We hung out, did little monster things.Had our fun.

"After the Second Cataclysm, two thousand years before the Light Warriors, the first of the Masters was created.Sadly enough, the first victims of that horror were the Chocobos . . . each breed in a different monster.Many still have yet to be recovered, but obviously, the yellow, black, and whites have been set free over time.Later even has rumors of a silver breed . . . another story.

"Later went the Moogles, and on to many others."

"What does this have to do with me?" Kuijata cut in.

Asura threw him an evil glare.

"I'm getting to that," she snapped.

Kuijata straightened up, and she went on.

"Kuijata's Materia Orb was among the last of the kind to shatter.In fact, it was still in operation when that sour Mage went on his trapping spree.Now, as we've seen, a Masters is usually made up of two creatures - a male and a female of the race in question.Of course, in our case, there is often only one of a kind."

"Are you saying this sour Mage tried to capture Espers into Masters?!" Rydia exclaimed, startled.

Asura nodded grimly.

"And he succeeded.And we reversed the process."

Rydia blinked.

"I thought that once someone became Masters, there _was no reversal for the process."_

"There isn't."

"Then how - "

"It was done once.It can never be done again."

"Explain."This was Kuijata's command.

Phoenix glanced at him and went back to staring into space.

"Take over, Phoenix," Asura suggested.

After glaring at her, Phoenix tucked his feathers in a bit more closely around him and glanced at Kuijata.

"Okay," he began, "Kuijata as we knew him then was Called with his Materia Orb by the sour Mage, and was promptly infected by Masters' Poison.By the time we found out about it, it was too late and he'd already become completely Masters.So Typhon came up with his plan and connived me into going along with it."

"What was his plan?" Rydia asked when Phoenix stopped his dialogue.

"Um, he fought Masters and defeated it.For some reason, though, we figure because there was only one being trapped inside and not two, it didn't split and reform.It just died.So by destroying Typhon also, I managed to resurrect them both into one being.And, I think, there's a bit of Masters in you two, too," he added to Kuijata, who blinked, startled at the calmness of this explanation.

"Why couldn't you just resurrect him, um, me, um, whatever?Why'd you have to destroy Typhon?"

"To reform you from a completely different creature was beyond my abilities.The energy was needed, as well as pieces of another person to fill what couldn't be salvaged.So Typhon and Kuijata were both reborn into the Kuijata we have now."

"I don't get it," Kuijata snapped.

"I'm not sure I do either," Rydia added, confused.

Asura opened her mouth to reply, then shut it.

"In fact - " Kuijata went in, but shut up when Asura clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Sh!" she hissed.

So the four of them sat there in a small room in the Land of Summoned Monsters, completely silent, listening.

A deep rumbling sound reached them.Then, faintly, a tremor could be felt through the walls, the floors, the furniture . . . 

"Cave-in . . . " Asura murmured under her breath.Always a problem when you lived in a vast cavern miles beneath the surface of the Earth.With one swift movement, she was on her feet and across the room, standing by the door."Come with me, all of you.We need to find out what's going on."

*

Leviathan arched his neck and glowered down.

"You . . . ?!"

Rather than reply, his opponent struck forward with two great balls of fire, blinding the serpent and speeding away before he could clear his vision.

Asura and the others arrived a moment later, to find him still seething.

"Leviathan?!" Rydia exclaimed, looking around."W-what happened?!"

He looked back up at the cavern, not even half the size it had been before being filled with falling rock and debris.

"It would seem that a citizen of our little town has completely lost his mind," he explained in a tightly light voice."And caused our passage to the surface to be completely destroyed."

"Completely?!" Asura gasped.

"Backed up all the way to the Dwarves' land.The whole thing's gone."

"Can we still get out if Summoned?"

"Of course."

"Well then . . . what do we have to worry about?"

Leviathan turned his attention to Rydia.

"The simple fact that if Rydia stays down here for too long at once, her aging will get screwy up once again.Oh, and also there's the little detail of a mad monster running around down here destroying things . . . "

"Who?" Asura demanded."Who's behind this?!"

Leviathan's reply was covered by a huge rumble from all around him.

"On second thought, never mind," he altered."Um, let's get out of here before we're squashed."

No one saw any trouble with that, and the five of them quickly relocated to the next level down.

"The whole Land of Summoned Monsters couldn't cave in and crush us all," Rydia muttered to herself."Of course it couldn't.This place is too huge for that."

"Don't count on it," Asura commented, overhearing."Depending on how large the chain reaction from the initial cave-in will be, this whole place could be gone by the end of the day."

Rydia threw a look up at the level above them and was greeted only by the sight of solid rock.

"Oh my."

"Where is he?" Phoenix demanded of Leviathan, who had to shrug.

"I don't know.He blinded me and bailed.For all I know . . . well, he could be anywhere."

***

Running Baron was a joint effort, and not just for the King and Queen.

The initial council Cecil had put together three years ago consisting of seven people had grown now to include over 20, as the various craft guilds within the Kingdom demanded recognition along with the various restored battalions.Rather than deal with irate citizens, Cecil allowed it, figuring that the more information he got, the better.

Most of the original people he'd selected were still there, however, and he was rather startled one day when Torram, Captain of the Redwings, barged into the family room where he was chatting with Rosa and their daughter late one evening.

"Sir!" he greeted, pretty much shouting.

Startled, everyone in the room jumped about a mile, the kid started crying, and Rosa accidentally dropped her sewing and had to instantly start searching the carpet for lost pins so that the cat wouldn't accidentally eat one, while the cat screamed and attached herself to Cecil's face.

"Don't do that!" Cecil admonished in a severe tone to Torram, removing the cat.

"Apologies, Your Majesty, but I think part of our territory is under attack."

Rosa gasped so hard that she dropped all the pins she'd been picking up.

The cat jumped out the window.

"Where?"

"Way off in the distance.We can only see it because, well, it's dark out, and you can see explosions better in the dark - "

Cecil cut him off, rushing past and mumbling for him to follow, with Rosa mumbling something to herself about explosions and how much she sometimes hated her life.

A Lookout Tower had recently been built onto the Castle, fully equipped with as many long distance viewers as Kory would scrounge for them (" . . . don't see why I need to take time away from my studies to help out a group of _foreigners . . . and no offense, Cecil, but you're about as _foreign_ as they get!").This was where the pair of them headed now, with the intention of getting a better look at what was happening._

Kain met them at the base of the Tower.

"Fire on the horizon!" he merrily greeted to explain his presence.

"So he tells me," Cecil replied, jabbing his thumb at Torram.

And so there were three of them who clamoured to the top of the Tower instead of just two, ignoring the sleeping Guards completely.

For now.(insert evil laugh)

"Okay . . . " Cecil muttered, getting a fix on the area in question with his telescope, "That's an Airship."

"Very astute, Your Majesty," Kain remarked."Which one?"

"It's the _Unity," Torram quickly identified._

"The Toroian Airship?"

"That would be it."

"Why would they be attacking Baronian lands?"

"Let's just ask them," Cecil snapped, hurrying back down the stairs."Torram, drag your people out of bed.We'd better get over there while there's something left to save."

"Yo!" Kain acknowledged, fast on his heels.

*

About ten minutes later, _Enterprise appeared on the scene with the Redwings in tight formation behind it, scaring __Unity away so fast that Cecil didn't bother to chase it.After all, they knew where it was going._

So they let the Redwings go on after the retreating Airship, while _Enterprise set down on the ground to assess the damage._

" . . . but the worst thing about war, I'm finding, is the paperwork," Cecil muttered to Kain as _Enterprise landed._

Kain blinked.

"That's what you get for being King!" he brightly reminded his old friend."Now see, if you'd just stayed a Dark Knight, you probably wouldn't have any paperwork at all.Of course, I might have killed you somewhere along the line instead . . . "

"Be silent, Minion," Cecil snapped.

A cursory glance gave little information.It seemed like the Toroians' target had been little more than a tiny poultry farm.Nothing that would prompt such a violent reaction from the rival Kingdom.

"Spread out," Kain ordered the Redwing members who filtered out of the ship around them."Search for any survivors of this mess."

Obeying without hesitation, they scurried around through the smoke and flames for signs of life.

"I don't get it," Cecil mumbled, shaking his head."What's Toroia's beef?They've been giving us trouble ever since I became the King . . . but never outright attacked us."

"Maybe whoever lives here could explain it," Kain suggested, pulling his Lance out from the sling on his back and poking at the smoldering remains of a burning chicken coop."Then again, maybe one of them just got a particularly nasty case of salmonella . . . "

"Shut up, Kain.We should be helping them look for survivors."

Kain saluted.

"As you command, My Liege!"

***

Rydia barged into her room, throwing a few articles aside to dig out the item she was searching for, the item which was hidden deeper than anything else she owned.

Finally, after flinging aside an old pair of shoes, three books, a jacket made of Chocobo's feathers, and a piece of fruitcake she'd been saving "for later" (for well over a year), she pulled the Twinharp out of her sock box.

Setting it on the ground in front of her, she realized that she wasn't entirely certain of how to use it.So she did what she thought was best.

"HELP!!!!!" she bellowed at the top of her lungs.

Thousands of miles away, on the surface of the planet in the Kingdom of Damcyan, Edward jumped about a mile and a half at her cry.

If he wasn't awake a moment ago, he was now.

Landing on his feet, he rushed over to his dresser, where the other Twinharp sat, its strings chiming discordantly.

"Rydia?" he called.

"_Edward!I need help - the Land of Summoned Monsters is collapsing, and we're all stuck inside!"_

Not wasting the time to ask stupid questions, he quickly realized the only thing he could do.

"I'll have Chia Summon Chocobo.Be with him!"

"_Right, thank you!"_

Carrying the instrument with him, he bolted from his room and rushed off to rouse Damcyan's only Caller.


	3. In Which, something very strange happens...

2)---------- In Which, something very strange happens to Kain

2)---------- In Which, something very strange happens to Kain.

The search for survivors wasn't going very well, mainly because of the ever-increasing darkness.

Finally, however, Cecil managed to locate the first sign of native life they'd seen since landing.

"Kain . . . " he called to the Dragoon, who'd wrapped an oilcloth around the spearhead of his Lance and lit fire to it, making his weapon a makeshift torch.In any case, it was the only light source they had.

Obliging quickly, Kain came over and held the light over the limp form Cecil had found near the main barn on this poultry ranch.

It was a young woman, young-looking, at least.Long, light blue hair tangled up all around her and obviously burnt in some places.Poor kid.

"Try and wake her up," Kain urged as Cecil just looked at her.

Seeing the sense in that, Cecil knelt down beside her and shook her slightly.

"Um . . . wake up?"

The girl made no response.Shrugging at Kain, Cecil began to chant a CURE spell.She didn't seem badly hurt, but he saw no reason to take the chance.

*

Forciara felt the healing tingle of his spell penetrate through the comfortable dark shell she was held within.The tiniest hint of consciousness returned . . . 

Then WHOOSH!Her senses all returned in one great blast, overwhelming her for a moment, senses bringing back images before she could even open her eyes as her talent spun out of control before she could grab a hold of it.

Mild confusion - concern.That's what was her first impression.Then it went deeper.

Honor.Determination.And deep sense of beauty.

Very deep.Very deep sense of beauty.

_A Paladin?_The thought crossed her mind.She'd heard tales, of course . . .

"_I think she's waking up."_

_"Yes . . . let's see what she can tell us about all this . . . "_

The voices shook her, and she weakly opened her eyes, the memory of the fire that had fallen from the sky on top of her reasserting itself in her mind.

Returning her gaze was a face she was certain she'd seen before once . . . long ago, was it?Bright green eyes boring straight through her, it seemed, a fringe of violet hair shining almost silver in the moonlight . . . 

"Who are you?" she mumbled, unable to draw a full breath because of all the ash in her lungs.

"Don't be afraid," he replied in a soothing voice."I am Cecil, Paladin King of Baron.We saw you were under attack and came to help."

"I think . . . Sir . . . I think that . . . "

She broke up coughing.

Cecil put one arm under her shoulders and helped her sit up, allowing her to cough up the dust in her throat more easily and ignoring the mess.

"Yes?" he prompted.

She managed to look up at him, suddenly rousing her common sense enough to block her talent.

"I think that you're the most beautiful person I've ever met, Sir."

*

Cecil blinked when she said that, caught totally off guard.

It was all Kain could do not to laugh.

"You seem to have that effect on young girls, Cecil," he pointed out."They _always_ swoon for the holy warrior radiating the inner light of goodness and purity."

"Euh . . . "

Cecil did not seem to be very comfortable with this development.

"Oh, calm down.The poor kid's not thinking clearly.Let her wake up, then she'll make more sense," Kain assured him, snorting under his breath.

"Let's hope so."

The girl stirred again - she'd fallen into a funk for a few moments there, still trying to regain her senses fully.

"My mother . . . " she murmured, sighing slightly and collapsing fully again, all but burrowing into Cecil's chest.

"Flirt," Kain mouthed at Cecil, who glared at him.

"We haven't found her yet," Cecil told the girl aloud."But we're looking."

" . . she's not here.She saw them coming . . . ran for her life . . . "

"She left you behind?"

"I was s'possed to be gone already . . . she didn't notice I was still here . . . not her fault . . . "

"King Cecil!" came the urgent shouts of one of the Redwings."I think you should see this!"

With a relieved expression, Cecil picked up the girl and handed her to Kain, grabbing the spear-torch for himself.

"Watch her for a bit," he told him with a grin.

The girl spastically flung out her arms for a moment, then reached back toward Cecil, total terror showing in her manner.

"Don't leave . . . "

"Don't be afraid," Cecil assured her."This is Kain, head of the Dragoons and my longtime _chum_.I need to see to something.If you need anything, let him know."

Too weak to object, the girl let her arms fall limply to her sides.

"I hate you!" Kain hissed after Cecil, who smiled and waved as he followed the Redwing.

Sighing inwardly, and having far less patience than the other, he set the girl back on the ground.

"Okay, you're never going to get back to your senses if you just sit there.Let's see if you can walk."

She looked up at him with an expression of confusion.

"C'mon," Kain prompted, taking her hands and trying to pull her to her feet."You've got two feet, let's see you use them."

Without saying anything, she used his grip on her hands to heave herself unsteadily upright and stood there, wobbling.

"Okay, that's good," Kain acknowledged."So . . . what's your name?"

Before replying, the girl threw him one strange expression, and then a psychic force blew him off his feet.

*

Cecil turned back just enough just in time to see a bright light flash between the two of them, and then see Kain go flying backwards about twenty feet, landing ungracefully on his rear end, blinking as he hit the ground with a squeak.

Startled, the girl flew back in the other direction a bit and toppled over.

After staring at each other in shock for a few moments, they both clamoured back to their feet.

Not for long in her case.

Kain jumped straight at her, knocking her flat on the ground.

"_Who are you?!?!" he yelled, a note of fear and bewilderment in his voice as well as a _whole_ lot of rage."__What did you do?!?!?"_

"Y-yy-y----y---you . . . I don't understand!How could you - "

"Stop babbling, you little - "

"Kain!" Cecil exclaimed, rushing back over to the pair.

Kain glanced up at him and reeled right back off his feet again, landing on his backside with a metallic clunk from all his heavy armor.It was actually a silly sight.The look on his face was anything _but_ silly, however.

"Akkgh, Cecil!Cut it out!!!"

Cecil stared at him, aghast.

"Cut what out?"

The girl pulled herself up to her feet.

"You've got the power!I don't believe it!You've got it!" she babbled, repeating the same basic thing over and over again.

Kain looked around wildly as if he were being attacked from all sides by creatures he couldn't hope to defeat.Then he turned his gaze back to the girl, clamping his hands over his ears.

"I don't know what you just did, but undo it!Now!!!" he snapped, all but spitting fire.

"I can't!" she objected."I . . . I didn't mean to do anything!I don't know what went wrong!Really!"

"Both of you shut up and tell me what's going on here?!?!" Cecil demanded.

"I haven't a clue," Kain told him, before passing out cold on the ground.

The girl screamed.

"Now that, _that one I didn't do!"_

Cecil checked him quickly.

"No, he knocked himself out.Lock the knees, cut off blood-flow to the brain, pass out.What I want to know," and he turned an evil glare on the young survivor, "is _why."_

"I don't know what happened!That's _never happened before!!" she insisted._

"You obviously did something," one of the Redwings interjected when it looked like Cecil was going to seriously lose his temper.No one wanted to be around when Cecil lost his temper.The man had a long rope, but when it finally snapped, well . . . it wasn't pretty."What was it?"

"I . . . I . . . I . . . well, how was I supposed to know he had the power?!"

"I'm sick of this!" Cecil snapped."You!" he called, pointing to the man who'd interrupted, "Put her on the Airship.I'll deal with her later."

"What about Kain?" another asked, gesturing to the unconscious Dragoon.

"In a minute," Cecil replied shortly."Now move it!"

The Redwing hauled the babbling girl off to the _Enterprise, and Cecil flagged down a Black Wizard who was in the crew._

"Put him under a SLEEP spell and make sure he gets aboard."

The Wizard nodded, not about to ask any questions when Cecil was upset.

Cecil took a series of deep breaths and then went back to the Redwing whom he'd been following earlier.

***

Chocobo reported as ordered to Chia's Call, depositing Rydia and returning as his powers dictated.

As he vanished, Rydia shook her head and looked around.She'd done a lot of Calling, but had never been _Called before.It was . . . strange._

"Rydia?" Edward greeted, walking to the center of the courtyard where she stood."What's going on?"

"Jinn's gone insane.He tried to block the passageway from the Land of Summoned Monsters to the underworld, and ended up setting off a chain reaction that's destroying the whole place.Leviathan expects the second level to collapse within an hour, and after that, well, it just keeps going until the whole place is gone."

"Jinn?"

"Jinn."

"But why?"

"I don't know.None of us know.But I have to get everyone out of there while I still can."

"Yes, I see.Can we help?"

Rydia shook her head at the King and Caller.

"Not really."She handed the Twinharp to him."Thank you.Just when I was beginning to think I'd never need it . . . "

"I wish you hadn't," Edward grimly replied.

"I agree," she agreed.

Then she hurried away for the Gates, wanting to be well out of the Kingdom before Summoning the many great monsters.

***

"Look at all this," the Redwing instructed Cecil, waving a hand around the interior of the farmhouse's remains."Everything's Toroian."

A quick examination told Cecil that he was right.There were even a few Toroian potted plants sitting around decoratively.

So the Toroians had launched an attack on Toroians?

This made less sense every minute.

After glancing in the closet, things began to fall together, though.

"Well well," Cecil whistled, pulling out a garment that he recognized quite easily.

"My goodness!!" exclaimed his companion."That's the robe of a Cleric!"

Cecil nodded, spreading the robe on a bed that stood in a corner on the one-room dwelling.

"Someone's really come down in the world . . . from ruling one of the five major civilizations of the world to breeding chickens."

"You think we're dealing with Maylara?" the Redwing inquired, referring to the Cleric who had vanished without a trace a year ago.

"I've little doubt.So that would make _her Forciara, Maylara's daughter."_

"The Toroians have been after them for a year.If they located them here, it seems they're mad enough to even invade _us_."

"It would seem so."

"Why would they be raising chickens in Baron?"

"I couldn't tell you.We're going to have to wait for our little princess to start making some sense to get any answers."

"So . . . exactly what did she do to Kain?"

Cecil had to shrug.

"I don't know.But rest assured, we're going to find out."

*

Forciara was more than agreeable when they joined the others on the Airship.

"I'm sorry," she told Cecil, blocking his way when he tried to get on."I didn't mean to hurt him."

Cecil raised an eyebrow at her.

"Would you mind not blocking the stairs when people are coming through?"

Squeaking, she jumped back.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed again, this time shedding a few tears."I never meant any harm.I still don't know why he reacted the way he did.Will he be okay?"

"You tell me," Cecil replied sternly."It's hard for us to tell when we still don't know what you did to him."He waved to the Pilot to take off.

"Where are we going?!" she cried as they began to rise.

"Baron.And I'd like to know what's going on before we get there."

The Toroian dropped her head and stared at the ground.

"I scanned him.Just slightly.Nothing harmful.I don't know how to do anything harmful!It shouldn't have hurt him, he shouldn't even have noticed!It wasn't even as deep as the one I did on you!!Um, Sir."

Cecil frowned.

"Excuse me?!Who else did you 'scan'?"

"Oh, just the two of you, Sir.When I woke up, at first, my talent kicks in before I fully awake, and I couldn't control it for a few moments . . . Sir."

"I'll accept that for now.Then why did you scan _him?"_

"Um . . . curiosity?"

The look Cecil gave her was not friendly.

"Exactly what is this power of yours?"

"Well, Sir, um, Your Majesty, I . . . uh . . . I'm an Empath.A . . . yeah.An Empath."

For another long moment, Cecil just looked at her.Then he shook his head and turned away.

"Okay.That would explain it."

"Your Majesty," cut in the Pilot, "we're over Baron now."

Cecil nodded.

"Good."


	4. In Which, Leviathan gets very, very angr...

3)---------- In Which, Leviathan gets very, very angry

3)---------- In Which, Leviathan gets very, very angry.

TIMELINE: 20 years ago, Baron.

Sir Rorunar hummed absently to himself, rubbing an oilcloth over the head of his Lance with an absent sort of reverence for the ancient weapon.It was just an absent sort of day.

Night, actually, he realized.It was about two thirty in the morning.Most of the Kingdom was asleep . . . but being that he'd only under a decade ago awakened from a three thousand year nap, he didn't count on needing sleep any time soon.

A light knock came on his door, startling him somewhat, although you wouldn't have been able to tell from watching him.

"Enter if you must," he called, setting his Lance aside.

One of his Dragoons who'd been on watch duty peeked in.

"Sir, there's a woman out here who requests to speak with you."

"Oh?Who is it?"

"Julia, widow of Michael and Phil, wife of Abraham."

"Phil?Philly Muenster, the guy with the funny haircut?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Right, show her in."

Nodding, the Dragoon peeked back out, and a moment later assisted the woman into Rorunar's office.

He blinked at the sight of her - of course.He'd heard about her.The blind "Raider Daughter".

"Sir Rorunar, I'm sorry to disturb you," she greeted, bowing her head formally.

Rising, he crossed the room to her.

"Nonsense, Lady, how can I be of service?"

"I . . . need information . . . that you may be able to supply me with," she replied, blinking her blank red eyes as he guided her to his chair and sat her down.

"Oh?" he inquired, hopping up on one edge of his desk."And what might that be?"

Julia frowned slightly.

"People say you have powers.Unlike the rest of us."

Rorunar grinned inwardly.

"Do they now?" he asked lightly, as if in disbelief."I wonder where anyone could have gotten such a crazy idea . . . "

Julia stood quickly.

"I do not mean to be insulting or intrusive.I need information for the sake of my children, but if that would be invading your privacy, then - "

"No, please, continue," Rorunar interjected."Yes . . . I have certain powers.The nature of which I am not at liberty to disclose."

"Nor will I ask.I am here because of the power I possess.A power that has not surfaced in either of my children."

"Ah."Not what he'd expected to hear, but interesting."And what power is that, if you'll forgive my asking?"

"Empathy.And it's strong.Those who know of it think my powers are weak . . . just because I've not received any training.I let them believe that, because I don't want to be taken from my children.But I thought that since you also have unusual powers that you could tell me why they don't seem to share it."

"You're Empathic, and want to know why your children aren't?"

"I feel that they are.They have the talent, I can sense it.But neither can use it, or even notices."

"So it's lying suppressed."

"Yes, I believe so."

"Has it been stimulated?"

"I . . . don't understand."

"You have this power, yes?"She nodded."Have you used it on either of them?"

"Repeatedly."

"They didn't respond?"

"Not at all."

"Mm hm."Rorunar nodded and thought about that."It could be because you're so familiar to them.Their powers lie dormant, and most likely will continue to do so unless stimulated by an outside force.Someone else, someone perhaps not so close to them, using the same power on them would most likely prompt a reflexive reaction, if nothing else."

"Would that be dangerous?"

"I would probably be quite shocking.Empathy is a whole new sense.I imagine it would be quite overwhelming at first . . . and of course, they wouldn't know how to control it."

Julia nodded.

"Yes . . . I can understand that.The force of emotion around a person can be quite powerful, even if you _do know how to control it."_

"Do you know of anyone else who shares this talent?" Rorunar inquired.

Julia shook her head.

"And I daren't ask around."

"No, that wouldn't be wise."

"Not unless you . . . ?"

Rorunar shook his head although he knew she couldn't see.

"My powers are varied, but Empathy is not among them – despite a certain local rumor."

"Forgive my asking.So then, their powers will likely never surface?"

"I doubt they would.It's possible, but unlikely without coming into contact with another of the same power."

Julia nodded and rose.

"Yes.Thank you, Sir Rorunar.I know it's late . . . "

"It's no bother to me, Lady," he assured her."Stimulating, in fact."

He guided her to the door and let the Dragoon who'd shown her in show her out, then plopped back behind his desk, picking up the oilcloth and absently polishing the spearhead of his Lance.

And wondered about the fate of the two children in question.

TIMELINE: Present

"So why'd you have him put to Sleep?" Rosa demanded as Cecil filled her in on what had happened.

Cecil rubbed his temples, trying to ease some of the tension he felt before it grew into a full-blown headache.

"The way I saw it, if whatever that girl tried was enough to make him knock himself out, we'd better put him to a sleep before he regained consciousness and knocked himself out again.Too little blood to the brain can cause lasting damage, you know."

Rosa sighed and sat on the side of Kain's bed where the Dragoon had been placed, still showing no sign of awakening.

"I know.So what do you think happened?"

"He's a latent Empath."

"What?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know?"

"He told me once.His mother was Empathic.My guess is that when Forciara scanned him, it struck a sour note with his dormant powers and kicked them into high gear."

Rosa nodded.

"And the shock of the added sense overwhelmed him.I see."

"Only," Cecil continued, also sitting, "what can we do if these powers stay surfaced?He's going to have to learn to control them . . . "

"And until he does, he won't be able to help seeing straight into everyone near him."Rosa shook her head.

"At least now I know why he reacted the way he did when I tried to talk to him before.He fell right over."

"We'll just have to wait until he wakes up," Rosa pronounced."Then we can see what's what instead of sitting here speculating."

"And in the meantime," Cecil added, bringing up a very important issue, "what do we do with the Toroian?"

*

"Burn her."

"Drug her."

"Shoot her."

"Throw her in Kormag's cell."

Such were the suggestions of the council.Apparently, much of the Baronian populace didn't feel much love for Toroia after the attack on Baronian land.

Not that Cecil was feeling much kinder to them.But that was beside the point.

"She didn't cause the attack," he reminded them."She was the victim."

"So?Burn her!!"

Cecil turned to glare at the speaker.

"We're not burning her.She's in our protective custody."

"After what she did to Dragoon Kain?!"

"I'm well aware of what happened," Cecil hissed in a low voice."And unless anyone has something useful to say, then let's just adjourn this meeting and go do something productive."

"Your Majesty," said the head of the Archers' Guild, "what about Maylara?Has anyone discovered her whereabouts?"

"No.Forciara insists she doesn't know."

"She lies!"

"Burn her!"

"Shut up!" Cid snapped."Are you looking, Cecil?"

Cecil made a pained expression.

"Um . . . somewhat."

"What about the Redwings?What happened after they tailed the _Unity?" Jason, the head Knight, asked._

"They," Cid answered in a creepy voice, "have not returned."

That left an uneasy silence.

"Um . . . why?" someone asked in a tiny voice.

"They're staking it out," Cecil replied, trying to keep his grin hidden.Cid had recently developed a thrill for being _spooky_.Ooooooo . . ."And a couple of spies have infiltrated Toroia.We want to find out as much as possible before we take any action."

"Action?They attacked Baronian lands!"

"But _why?" Cecil demanded, waggling a finger at the offender's nose."What would make them do something so utterly foolish?That's what we want to find out."_

"Torram's keeping us informed," Cid clarified."Every twelve hours, one of the Airships is to return to Baron and make a full report.Then we alternate.They're on the second shift now - _Rapier's back in port and __Les Cheveux took over for them.__Horizon should be reporting in this afternoon.If something happens, we'll find out."_

"Where's Queen Rosa?" demanded an impudent councilman.

"None of your concern," Cecil snapped, rising."I call this meeting adjourned.Have a nice day."Without another word, he spun on one heel and left the council chamber.

Cid shook his head.Cecil really needed to drop some stress these days.Being a King was starting to get to him.

***

It took longer than she'd intended due to the strain involved for so many successive Callings.In fact, it was well into the next day before Rydia had effectively evacuated the Land of Summoned Monsters.

Leviathan, being that last one to be brought out, said that it was still standing, but he wasn't at all certain of how much longer the place would last.

"So what about Jinn?" Rydia asked, forcing herself to think clearly through the fatigue that was settling in from the strain.

"What about him?" Leviathan asked, bristling.

"You don't want me to leave him down there, do you?"

Leviathan exchanged a glance with Asura.

"Tempting," he admitted, but his significant other shook her head primly.

"Can't," she reminded him."Our code as Summoned Monsters forbids it."

"Yeah . . . whatever," Leviathan sighed."But not here."He gestured to the large swarm of monsters in the area - the entire population of their land."It, um, might start a fight, and you know, Summoned Monsters aren't supposed to fight Summoned Monsters unless Summoned to do so . . . c'mon, Rydia."

She vaulted onto his back and he flipped into the air, landing in the ocean.

Rydia wasn't going to ask how.

"Call away," he instructed in a forcedly merry tone.

Swallowing the bit of seawater that had gotten in her system at splashdown, she quickly voiced the incantation to Summon the renegade monster.

The typical green light filled the air, and the monster in question formed normally.

Then a blast of flame blew her off Leviathan's neck and down beneath the surface of the water.And she remembered that she still hadn't learned to swim.

Flailing her arms frantically under water, trying to figure out which way was up, she panicked and inhaled a lungfull of water before realizing what a stupid thing that was to do.

So she panicked some more.

Then, though, Leviathan came to her rescue, coming up beneath her and pushing her back to the surface.

Sprawling on his back, she coughed up her lungfull of water and didn't bother to wonder where Jinn had gone.She didn't really care right then.

"Okay?" Leviathan inquired after her hacking had subsided.

"I really need swimming lessons . . . " she wheezed.

Grinning slightly, the great sea-monster pushed off in no real direction.

"Where are we headed?"

Sighing, Rydia sat up and looked around.Then she groaned and sprawled out on his back again.

"I don't know.What will all of you do now?If the Land of Summoned Monsters is collapsing, where will all of your people go?"

"Don't worry about us, Rydia.True, the world is very different now from what it was before we moved underground, but most of us remember living on the surface.Really, it's only been a few millennia.But what about you?"

She aimlessly flailed a hand in the air.

"I don't really care, Leviathan.I really don't.Where's closest?"

"We're nearest to Eblan from here."

That got her sitting up again.

"Eblan?A few minutes ago, we were in Damcyan space."

"Oh . . . trade secret.Shall we go?"

Flopping on her back, Rydia sighed.

"Sure.Edge'll probably get a laugh out of all this."

"He probably will."

They moved in silence for a time, until a thought occurred to Rydia.

"So, Leviathan, what _are you going to do about Jinn?"_

"Oh, nothing much," he assured her."Just kill him."

Rydia blinked, certain she'd misheard.

"Huh?"

"You heard me.Kill him.He betrayed his own kind and almost killed us all.And he's quite likely to continue such mayhem up here as well, now that he's free."

"But . . . I thought you couldn't fight him."

"Rydia, ethics and tradition are all very well, but they won't save that lunatic when I get my hands on him, because no matter what Asura says, I am going to paint the world a lovely shade of red with that traitor's blood!"

As fury washed through the sea King, his speed increased to the point where Rydia was thrown from his back once again.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized, catching her before she hit the water again."Don't mind me.I'm somewhat angry."

"So I see," Rydia carefully replied, noting the steam rising from the serpent's nostrils and not wanting to bring any of his anger down on herself."Um . . . so, lovely weather we're having, huh?"

"Lovely."

"Um . . . yeah, not a cloud in the sky . . . nice shade of blue . . . 

"Blue."

"Leviathan . . . you're scaring me."

"I know."They came up on the Eblanian coastline."I'm not in a good mood, Rydia, as you can guess."

"Yes, I understand.I just . . . well, I can't believe it!Shiva, Jinn, Chocobo and I play cards together every weekend!None of us saw this coming!"

"No, none of us did.But it's happened, and now we have to deal with it.It's just a good thing you were able to get us all out of there."

"I'm glad I could help."

"Well.Here we are.Will you be all right?You got a little burned."

"I'll be fine.Nothing serious."

"Good.I'll see you later, then."

"Yes, Sir."

)))))-----DREAM SEQUENCE-----(((((

As is usually the case in dreams, Kain had no idea where it began.

Once his brain started burning what his subconscious encountered into his memory, he was aware of kneeling stolidly in an endless black room that seemed to stretch in all directions infinitely, yet had a definite feeling of enclosure.His hands were folded before him, his head bowed as if in prayer.He blinked, feeling not the least bit startled or confused – this being a dream, such things seemed perfectly in order.

"Why are you afraid?" came a low voice from nowhere.

He looked up at last, making his first movement in this dream, and found himself staring into the face of a tall man who stood before him out of nowhere, staring back.In an instant he took this new person in, still feeling no degree of surprise.While he didn't recognize him, there was a distinct feeling that he'd known him from somewhere.

The man continued looking down at him, awaiting a reply to his question.Swept away from his shoulders hung a single plait of hair, black with an almost iridescent quality of blue and silver shining through it - the same iridescent quality passing through his deep blue eyes.He held a simple wooden staff, and was dressed in the robes of a White Wizard.

Still, he awaited a reply.

Kain thought for a moment without thinking at all.

"I'm seeing things I don't understand," he explained, of his incident with the girl.He didn't think to be confused as to why he didn't quickly and hotly deny the charge, as he normally would have.It never occurred to him."I . . . don't know what's happening to me."

"But you do," came another, yet identical, voice, powerful, yet laced with a gentle, musical tone, "if you'd only let yourself re_mem_ber."

Kain didn't even think of turning to see the newcomer.He didn't have to, the White Mage stepped aside, still looking down at him with an almost paternal pride, making way for who seemed to be the exact same person, but garbed in the dark robes of the Black Mage.

"This should not come as a surprise to you," added another of the twins, standing from nowhere next to the others, this one in the rare uniform of the Blue Wizard.

"And you should not fear it," concluded a fourth, this one bearing the green robe of the Caller.

For a moment, the four stood before him, watching for his reaction, and Kain had the impression that he'd known these people for many years, and that he didn't want to disappoint them.

"I . . . just don't understand.What _is_ happening to me?I . . . don't recall the memory you speak of."

They each awarded him a vague smile, and the Caller extended his hand to him, at which Kain stared dumbly.

"Keep your mind about you," the Caller warned, still with the vague smile."You will be in need of_ it_, especially."

Kain blinked and accepted his aid to rise.

The four took a step away from him.Looking into their faces, Kain could see conflicting emotions, but the same basic concern from all of them.They were here for a reason.

"Do you know us?" the White Mage inquired lightly.

"I'm not sure.Do I?"

The Blue Mage grinned lopsidedly.

"You . . . are seeing us as we are now.This is not, however, how you know us."

"Then," Kain reasonably asked, "how do I know you?"

For a moment, none of the four replied.

"Do not be alarmed," the Black Mage advised.

Then the four joined hands, and seemed to reach within each other, dissolving into one great light that should have blinded a person, but didn't harm Kain at all, because this was a dream.When the light dimmed, he took an involuntary step back.In there place floated a single object.

A fighting Lance.The Venus Gospel.

The weapon wielded by his teacher before his . . . demise.

He just stared for a long moment.

Then the Lance glowed, and the voice he just now began to recognize flowed easily to him.

"The powers within you have been stirred at last.It is alarming, I know, I understand.I control the four aspects of magic, black, white, blue, and green.Your power is one, though, that I do not possess.However, I am here to help you."

Kain blinked.

"Rorunar?"

"Yes, you silly person.Or have you grown too proud to accept my aid?"

"No, of course not."

"Be assured, my young friend.Your path is a difficult one.I have lived it.But it is necessary.You are not the chosen one of legend.He has yet to be revealed, but he is not you.However, your actions in the next years will be a crucial factor in our fate.

"Your gift is a special one.It is not as feeble as many think, and can cause terrible damage . . . or not.How you use it depends on your own views, but I must trust that you come to understand your purpose.My duty was to seek you out.And prepare you for what is to come.

"Never doubt for a moment that you are a match for every form of magic.The four colors in all their glory cannot stand against you.Not if you choose to stand against them.

"Do not be afraid of your gift.Few have the opportunity you now possess.Use it.But do not fear it.Fear is the greatest weapon you possess, for fear is the one thing that can destroy even the mightiest civilization.And fear is the power you now hold in the palms of your hands.Once you feel the fear that flows through you, though, your power will turn inward and destroy you.That would, in a word, suck."

As Kain watched, listening to this, the glow grew brighter, again obscuring his vision.When it cleared again, surprisingly unsurprisingly, he saw that the Lance no longer hovered silently.It was held aloft by the form of his mother, non-afflicted and proud with the weapon in her grasp.

"Your mother held many sacred relics that were not passed to you, but to your elder sibling, according to tradition.This power, however, she passed to you and you alone.At least, you alone are able to wield it.She gave you your duty, you know what you must do."

"I still don't understand," Kain declared, as if this were the most natural thing in the world to be seeing.The only duty his mother had given him . . . was to protect Cecil.

Julia extended the Lance and rested the spearhead on his shoulder for a moment, and he could feel the warmth from it spreading throughout his entire form.

"When your mind clears, you will understand," said Rorunar's voice."And once you do, I will be able to guide you.Through this weapon, I will guide you.Do not be afraid."

As he stood there, suddenly it was not facing only his mother and the Lance.The four aspects of his teacher again were materialized, each holding out a hand over his head.

"All of our offices combined will not stand a chance against you at the peak of your powers," one murmured to him."But that peak is a long way off.Be on your guard, my friend."

Julia withdrew the Venus Gospel and clanked it heavily against the floor.

"_Venus Admonition," she spoke in a clear, vibrating voice that sent a chill up his spine as her gaze met his._

The darkness around him vanished into a blinding whiteness, through which he could feel himself pleasantly falling until he came upon a vision of four people, kneeling as he had been earlier, perfectly still, heads down and eyes closed.

Cecil.

Rosa.

Edge.

Rydia.

They knelt, each facing away from the center of their square.As he looked upon them, a blackness formed in this center, slowly growing and overcome with a fiery outline, until one by one, it consumed each of them, leaving behind each only a single item.

An arrow.

A ring.

A crown.

A . . . a . . . 

The light grew again, and he couldn't quite discern the item left behind in Rydia's place.

And then it was before him.

A clarinet?

Sound brought his attention to behind, and he turned.

There stood Rorunar, this time exactly as Kain recalled him, in the deep golden Dragoon Armor, Venus Gospel slung over his back.The sound came from the recorder which had somewhat become his teacher's trademark during his years in Baron, which he played easily and almost absently, as if trying to convey some deeper meaning through only the music of the instrument and the words etched in his silvery eyes.

The four items rose into the air, glowing, then vanished abruptly.

Kain did not understand, this being a dream.He had yet to _ever_ understand a dream.

*

Unfortunately for poor Kain, SLEEP spells wear off very suddenly.One moment, he'd been happily unaware, but the next, the extra sense rushed right back in.The dream was entirely forgotten.

Before he even thought about opening his eyes he could sense it all.The emotions and feelings of everyone around him.All as strong as anything he might feel, combined in his confused brain with his own worn out state of empathy.

In a futile gesture, he clamped his hands over his ears, but that did nothing to block everything out.

It just seemed so wrong.Like he had no right to be seeing what he could now see.Invading the sanctity of the people nearby.

But there was little he could do about it.

He just wished it wasn't so overpowering.There had to be a way to control this, he knew there had to be a way.But until he mastered it, it threatened to drive him insane.

_Heck with it._

He sat up and finally convinced himself to open his eyes, trying to ignore all the things he could sense: Rosa's concern and confusion, Cecil's concern and frustration.A lot of concern.And he figured that it made sense that they would be.It just didn't seem right for him to be able to read it.

Someone else was standing outside the door.Two people.They were harder to pick out from one another, but he could if he concentrated.

But he didn't.He didn't want to know.

"Well?" Cecil asked him.

Kain shook his head.

"Well what?Let me tell you, this seems positively indecent."

"The girl's empathic.We think that when she scanned you, it triggered your latent ability."

"Yeah, that makes sense.I don't suppose she could tell me how to turn it off . . . "

"Can you control it at all?" Cecil asked.

Blinking, Kain shrugged.

"Not really . . . but I think once I get the hang of all this . . . "

"That makes sense."

"Yeah.Cecil, do you mind if I have a chat with that girl?"

"No problem.Just so you know, she's a Toroian Princess."

"Is that so.Well.Small world."

***

"Lady Rydia!!" shrieked one of the Guards at the gates to Eblan at the sight of her."W-what happened to you?!"

The other just gawked at her appearance, singed and still dripping wet.

"I'm all right," she assured them."May I speak with Edge?"

"Of course," the other replied while the first gawked wordlessly.

Rydia brushed at her charred clothing self-consciously as he led her into the Castle.

*

"So now all the Summoned Monsters are in the overworld?" Edge summarized, somewhat astounded by her story.

Rydia nodded.

"Yes, and Jinn's still at large.I don't know what Leviathan intends to do to him, but I don't think it's going to be very pleasant.He said he was somewhat angry . . . I'll take that to mean he's very, very angry.Leviathan's got a pretty cool head.It takes a lot to push him over, and when that happens, he's _very dangerous."_

"I can imagine," Edge allowed, trying to picture the Sea Serpent on a mad rampage.The mental image that formed was not very assuring."Let's hope he doesn't do anything _we'll regret."_

"No . . . he won't do anything foolish.He knows better."She absently plucked a thread from the giant towel she was wrapped in, still soaking from her encounter with the renegade Monster."Edge, I'm afraid I need to request your hospitality for an indefinite amount of time."

"Hmm . . . " Edge hummed, putting on a thoughtful expression."I'm not sure, Rydia.That may just not be a good idea."

Grinning sourly, Rydia picked up a poker from the fireplace in front of her.

"Don't make me use this, King!"

"Well, since you put it that way . . . "

Edge pulled her to her feet.

"I'll show you to your room."

***

The two Empaths just glared at each other across the room.

Cecil exchanged a quick glance between them and retreated from the room, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire if these two got violent.

"I hope you realize," Kain finally said in a low voice, "just how much trouble you've caused me.But I doubt it, because you're not in the least bit sorry."

"That I'm not.I did no wrong, so should feel no guilt.The power is yours. I didn't put it there, I just happened to wake it up."

Kain took a step toward her.

"You're not getting this.Don't you see?This power, as you term it, makes me a safety risk.Even if I learn to control it, I'm not going to be trusted ever again."

"Your friends will trust you."

"Somewhat.Then what?What about everyone else?My students, even?What about them?"

"Once you learn to control it, it won't be a problem."

"How on Earth did you grow up so naive?" Kain snapped."People aren't accepting like that.They accept only what they must, and this doesn't qualify."

"It's only Empathy," Forciara reasoned."Not dangerous like Telepathy."

Kain shook his head.

"No . . . if you mix it with any amount of common sense, you're more dangerous than any Telepath out there.I know.I saw my mother at work once or twice."

Finally he could sense some uncertainly from her.Good . . . maybe she was starting to understand some of this.

Stupid girl.Just how sheltered was she?

"I'm not sheltered!" she snapped."Just because I had a decent upbringing, unlike you hooligans - "

"What's wrong with being hooligans?You just have no clue.That's a simple fact."

"I am a princess!!!!" she screamed."You can't hurt me!!!I don't care about your problems - you should thank me for giving you your powers!!"

"Thank you?"

"Yes!!!In fact, you should be on your knees!!"

Kain decided that this chick was mental.

"You're mental!" he informed her."Some princess - chicken farmer?"

Forciara blew her top and was about to spin off some profanity, then stopped, gawking at Kain as he dropped an aura of anger and burst out laughing.

"You're mocking me!" she realized."You have been for most of this conversation!But . . . how could you hide it?"

Kain folded his arms.

"I learn quickly.Remember that."

"But . . . "

She stopped long enough for her senses to cool.

"Your powers are strong."

A quick chuckle escaped from Kain.

"I daresay I'm more powerful than you are.Unfortunately, it's violently out of control.I don't suppose you have any tips?"

"You're still mocking me."

"Princess, I mock everybody.That's just the way I am."

She squared her hips and glared at him admonishingly.

"Well, stop it.It's rude.And I can't give you any tips.It's natural for me.I've been trained with my powers my whole life.Secretly, of course."

"Would that have something to do with why your Aunties are tearing the planet apart to find your Mother?Is it not her they're chasing after all?Is it _you?"_

She made no comment, but he knew he was right.

"I," she snapped, "have no obligation to answer to you."

He shrugged.

"Fine.Wait for Cecil to get upset.When he gets upset, bad things happen to the people who _made him upset.And trust me - you don't want to be on Cecil's bad side when he gets upset."_

Insulted and infuriated, she turned and stalked out of the room.


	5. In Which, Toroia gets clever.

4)---------- In Which, Toroia gets clever

4)---------- In Which, Toroia gets clever.

Torram was leaning idly over the railing of the _Les Cheveux, his Airship.The Redwings, as a rule, went in groups of five: __Enterprise, Bounty, Horizon, Les Cheveux, and __Rapier making up the first wave, __Serpentine and__ Arrow leading the second, along with the three newer additions: __Sabre, Eclipse, and __Moon.Now, though, with the twelve-hour cycle thing going on, the groups were all meshed up and screwy.__Les Cheveux, Horizon, Bounty, Rapier, and __Moon were at the post now, staking out Toroia in a very boring manner._

All he really knew for sure at the moment was that it was almost time for him to take his people and go home and _sleep.Almost.They were still on duty now, though._

Basically, Torram rather liked being in charge of the Redwings.And the beauty of it was - if something went drastically wrong, he could always just yell for help and Cecil would know what to do.He didn't really have to think too hard, which was reassuring.

Now, though, it was being pretty dull.

The Pilot, nicknamed Pinky, joined him at the railings.

"Um . . . Sir?"

"Yes?"

"_Moon signals that it's picking up something from the south side."_

"What sort of things are they picking up?"

"They're not sure.Should we take a look?"

Torram stepped away from the railings and stretched his stiff limbs.

"Sure.Rotate the squad so we can get a look . . . slight change in scenery should be pleasant anyway . . . "

Pinky nodded and headed off.

Torram sighed.They'd been on this stakeout for over a day - fortunately for them, they were getting the fourth shift off and would return to Baron in the morning.Why, why, why did things always start to happen right when he was almost free?

***

The middle of the night on that side of the world, mid-morning in Eblan.

Max, the Castle Cook, was rushing Rydia all over the place.

"I know, I know, but before you go checkin' in with any Summoned Monsters, child, you've gotta eat somethin'!You're worse than my kid, you know that?"

Rydia shook her head and allowed herself to be herded to the table, knowing better than to fight her off.She knew she couldn't win.

Edge was already there.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if that woman really came here as an act of good faith, or if Baron really _is secretly planning to destroy us!" he whispered when Max was out of hearing range._

"Edge, don't give her any ideas."

"You're right.I'm sorry."

Rydia grabbed herself a muffin which was, she reflected, quite good.

Maxine, known to her friends as Max.The Mother of a Dragoon named Cami, one of Kain's first and most intense students - she'd hopped up to Eblan shortly after the whole incident with Kormag's takeover of the Kingdom three years ago, saying that she was sick of "cookin' for ungrateful slobs," and thought it would be an act of good faith on the part of Baron.

She'd adopted Cid's mother's attitude.Or maybe she'd always had it.Or maybe it was just something about people's mothers who worked at Castles that made them particularly annoying.In any case, she made pretty decent muffins.

After they'd both eaten enough to satisfy Max, Edge joined her as she headed outside the City Walls to check in with her friends.

Chocobo replied to her Call as quickly as ever.

"So?" she inquired."What's the situation?"

The bird shuddered.

"Creepy.I went in a Chocobo Forest, and this _jerk kept trying to - "_

"I mean, Chocobo, with Jinn and Leviathan."

"Oh."Chocobo regained his composure."Well, the situation's . . . it's there.That's about it."

"Have they found him?"

"They haven't looked.Right now, they're still trying to decide what to do with him when they do, so that they won't have to figure it out then and possibly get killed in the process.You know.Precaution."

"I see."

"Yeah.Let's see - Shiva threw a fit about something and won't talk to anyone, no one's seen Titan since last night, and Mist keeps whining about the food.Other than that, everyone's doing peachy."

"Where've they all gone?"

"All over the place.But we're keeping in touch."

"How?"

"Monster Magic."

"Cute."

"Yeah, isn't it?"

"Why is Mist complaining about the food?"

"Because she wants some, and can't seem to find anything she likes."

"What does she like?"

Chocobo grimaced - an odd sight from a giant yellow bird.

"Well, Rydia, time's all but stopped for us when we're in the Land of Summoned Monsters, not including you of course, so she didn't have to eat anything there."

"So . . . ?"

"Well, she likes to eat . . . peanut butter."

"Peanut butter?"

Rydia and Edge exchanged a look of incredulity.

"What on Earth is peanut butter?"

Chocobo shuddered again, leaving his feathers ruffled in a comic way.

"You do _not want to know!"_

"O . . . kay."

***

Cecil watched the dawn bring light to the world . . . along with some nasty weather.

He tapped his foot anxiously.

"You know," he muttered to Rosa, "Airships sometimes do strange things in the rain . . . "

"Calm down," she advised."You're just worried that they might get struck by lightning and crash, exploding into a thousand pieces."

He blinked.

"Yes, in fact, that's exactly what I'm worried about."

She smiled and sat at the table for breakfast.

"You worry entirely too much.Eat something.You'll calm down."

Cecil remained glued to the window.

"It's too early for breakfast.And _Les Cheveux should have reported in half an hour ago."_

"Torram probably couldn't bear to miss the excitement."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, maybe . . . but I doubt that."

"Oh, come on, Cecil!" she lightly snapped, rising and placing her hand on his arm."I don't think Toroia could very easily do away with the Redwings with their fleet of one against ours of five.They probably set down because of the weather.It looks like it's much worse in that direction."

"True," he conceded.

"Rosa's right, Cecil," Cid affirmed, entering the room."You _do worry too much.Calm down and eat something."_

"It's too early to eat anything," he absently replied.For a long moment, he just stood there and thought.Then:"Hey, Cid?"

"Yeah?"

"Most of the Airships out are newer than _Enterprise - they have remote control, right?"_

"Cecil!" Rosa snapped."Don't go pushing buttons on people for being half an hour late!"

"Hey, I just have a really bad feeling about this whole business!" he snapped back, overcome by an uncharacteristic wave of impatience.

The door opened again and Kain peeked in.

"I thought _I was supposed to be the one getting bad feelings," he remarked._

Cecil blinked.

"Aren't you?"

"No."

"Does that mean you've learned to control your powers already?" Rosa asked, incredulous.

Kain nodded.

"For the most part.Unless things get intense.See, I found that by practicing blocking Veronica's pet cat - "

"You mastered your powers with my cat?!" Cecil echoed with mock fury."Why, of all the nerve!!"Then he frowned."And it actually worked?"

"I learn quickly."

"Well . . . no use denying that.What do you think?_Les Cheveux's overdue now . . . maybe they got struck by lightning."_

Suddenly, Cid seemed concerned.

"Hey . . . maybe they did . . . and I just fixed that thing after the incident with the 16 ton weight . . . "

The door opened.By now, the dining room was beginning to fill up.

"Message for you, Sir!" came the bright voice of one of the Guards from the lookout tower."We've sighted an Airship on the horizon, but can't tell which over the distance."

"Is it coming in?" Cecil asked.

"Negative.It's just hovering."

"Oh, that does not sound good."

Cecil stalked quickly off to the Tower, Cid anxiously at his heels.

Kain watched them go, followed by the Guard.

Rosa raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't you going with them?"

He shook his head slowly.

"I'm not sure I should."

"Why not?"

Turning to her, he didn't say anything for a time.

"Cecil's being far to accepting of me."

"You said you had it under control."

"I do.I think.But Rosa . . . "He trailed off and stared into space for a moment."I don't know.I can't explain it.But I feel different.Very much so.And just because I'm managing to keep this thing suppressed for now, I don't want to be in a bad spot should it flare up on me."

"So you don't trust yourself."

She made the statement primly, glaring lightly at him across the table.

"No.I don't.Not yet.I think . . . that until I have a better idea of what's going on here, I'm going to keep myself under wraps a bit."

Rosa sighed.

"I have to admit, I see your point.And as for Cecil . . . I don't know.Lately, he just seems to be so stressed out . . . I don't know what to think."

Kain nodded.

"I'll talk to him later.I know that I, if anything, am only contributing to that problem right now."

"Don't worry about that.It's not on your head - it's on the head of our favorite Toroian Princess."

"Where is she, anyway?"

"Sleeping.It's five in the morning."

"Is it really?"

"Yes."

"Imagine."He turned and headed out, calling for the cat.

*

Cecil frowned at the sight through the telescope, but could do nothing to identify the Airship.

"Okay," he finally sighed."One way to deal with this.Um, let's rouse up the crew of _Enterprise and check it out."_

"Are you mad?" Cid snapped."What if you get struck by lightning?"

"I'll put up a WALL.Don't worry so much, Cid . . . that's _my job."_

Kain, upon arriving back at his room with a black cat in his arms, found his way blocked solidly by two Dragoons who were standing in his doorway.

"Can I help you?" he blandly asked.

Lori and Cami, two of his first students, exchanged a nervous look.

"Yes!" Lori blurted.

The cat got scared and ran away.

"Yesterday," Cami explained, "King Cecil sent word to the pair of us to try and handle your classes while you were unconscious."

"We _told him we didn't have a clue!"_

"We _said people think we're cool, but we're really not!"_

"And he tells us to wing it!!" Lori wailed.

Kain had to grin in spite of himself.

"And?" he prompted.

Cami made a despairing expression.

"We wung it."

"Wung?"

"You see," Lori clarified, "we decided that what ensued was not worthy of a real word."

"Sir, we don't know what's going on," Cami stated."Just that something strange happened involving you and a Toroian Princess.No one's said exactly what, so we figure it's none of our business."

"But whatever it was . . . when are you coming back?!"

Kain blinked.

"To be completely honest?I don't know.Maybe . . . maybe never."

Cami turned several shades paler.

Lori just frowned.

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking . . . "

"I'll explain all this to you later," he promised."Right now, before I figure out anything else, I need to find that cat again."

"But-but-but . . . ?!" Cami stuttered, frantic.

"Cami," Kain pronounced, "I hereby nickname thee: Spaz.Don't worry.This'll all work out okay," he assured them both in what he hoped was at least a somewhat reassuring tone.

The cat charged through the hall.

"Excuse me," he said, then took off after it."Here, Chika!C'mere, Chika . . . "

In all honesty, he felt he had to get away from his two subordinates quickly, because the strain of blocking his power was beginning to take a toll, and he could feel the self-imposed wall wearing off.Really, he had to get the hang of this Empathic stuff fast, or he simply wasn't sure what he was going to end up doing.

*

_Enterprise, while no longer the newest or most advanced of Baron's fleet of Airships, remained one of the fastest.Some speculated that the red paint which adorned the Redwings slowed them down, and a few snide remarks had been made about Cid's genius failing, but all in all, it was tacked up to circumstance._

In any case, as Cecil watched, they quickly came into identification range of the stationary Airship on the horizon.

"It's _Horizon," he mumbled to the pilot."Take us closer."_

He did so, and _Enterprise drew closer, signaling for them to land.__Horizon still refrained from moving._

"Okay . . . " Cecil murmured to himself."I wonder . . . "

A bolt of lightning shot forth from the Redwing directly at them, jolting _Enterprise, but doing no damage due to the WALL Cecil had cast to protect them from the natural lightning all around.It reflected back harmlessly into the air, and was somehow absorbed into the storm before striking back at the enemy._

"What the - - ?!" yelled Techie, who'd been blown from his post to the other end of the Airship from the jolt of the blow along with most of the others.

Cecil grabbed the railing as _Horizon attempted the same thing again, mumbling quickly to reinforce the spell._

"We're under attack, you idiot!" the pilot snapped at the Techie."Be useful!King Cecil, should we return fire?"

"Yes!" Cecil curtly ordered."Try to take them down.But not destroy them.Cid would blow a gasket."

"Understood."

The crew proceeded to arm the weapon ports and left Cecil to consider why they were being attacked by one of their own Airships.

***

Elsewhere in the world, several of the Summoned Monsters were trying to figure out why Shiva was so ticked off at everyone.At first they'd tacked it up to the simple fact that they'd been forced to evacuate their home and been betrayed by one of her card-playing buddies, but it became evident that there was something a little more sinister behind her foul mood.

"And don't give us the old line about how people suck!" Ifrit snapped.

Shiva glared at him.

"People suck," she flatly stated and turned her back to him.

Ifrit, Ramuh, and Remora exchanged a humorous glance.

"So tell us, dear Shiva," Ramuh suggested in a patronizing tone, "exactly why people do so suck?And what does that have to do with you running around like a homicidal maniac, freezing trees and rocks at random?"

Shiva growled and was about to make a biting retort, but vanished in a flash of green light.

"Humph!" Remora seethed."She has to go and get Summoned right when we have her where we want her - "

***

The three firebombs _Enterprise catapulted at __Horizon bounced off smoothly, indicating that whoever was in charge had instigated a SHELL over the Airship._

"Crud," Cecil seethed under his breath."We couldn't get close enough to board them . . . think we could get within arrow range?" he inquired of the pilot.

"We could try."

Just as the Baronian craft was about to make chase on the other, however, a green light flashed through the air, revealing - 

"Shiva?" Cecil exclaimed, startled."What are you - "

She, bound by the Summon which had brought her forth, was unable to reply.Or in fact, do anything other than lash at them.

Cecil gasped in shock as a swirl of Diamond Dust shot forth at them, and as it dissipated, she was nowhere to be seen.

"AHHH!" cried the pilot, as he was frozen up solid along with much of the crew.

_Oh, of all the . . . _

Many foul words passed through Cecil's mind as he cast HEAL over them all, needing to move directly onto CURE.He alone, it seemed, was powerful enough to endure the attack without similar damage.

Experience.A good thing.

_Thanks, Zeromus.HA!_

The ice attack had damaged the Airship.It had damaged them badly.But they were still in the air.

***

"Oh, nice of you to grace us with your presence!" Ifrit snapped at the Ice Queen upon her abrupt return."Have fun?"

"No!" she cried."Someone just Called me to attack Cecil's Airship!"

"What?!" Ramuh was exclaiming as he, in turn, vanished in a green light.

***

No sooner had the crew recovered and they'd only just begun to assess the damages done, than did Ramuh appear floating in the air, zapping them for all he was worth.

This attack left most of Cecil's people down for the count, and the Airship began a steady descent.

"@#$%!" Cecil yelped, jumping to try and take the controls from the pilot, who was only semi-conscious. 

As he did so, _Horizon finally moved.They moved above __Enterprise, so closely that Cecil could have reached up and touched the bottom._

Trying to regain control of the wounded flier, Cecil also resumed his chanting, again trying to revive and restore his crew.He did not like where this was going.

Just as he finished and they began to get up, _Horizon ended up beside them, extending the bridge between the Airships._

A female soldier emerged onto the bridge, pushing Torram in front of her at sword point, his hands chained behind him.

"Your Majesty," she greeted Cecil, "we have your entire attack wave as our prisoners.Resist us, and they will be destroyed."

Torram winced and made an apologetic expression.

For a long moment, Cecil just took it in.

Then he nodded slowly, keeping a stiff, stern expression.

"Very well.We surrender."

The sun emerged from the clouds.

The soldier nodded back.

"Wise decision, Your Majesty.Prepare to be boarded."

***

Cid stiffened at the telescope.

"Those were some pretty heavy fireworks," he muttered to the Guards, who had finally awakened."I think we have a problem."

He left the tower and sought Rosa, to tell her that her husband's Airship appeared to have just been captured.

***

"Shiva and Ramuh have been Summoned to defeat Cecil's Airship?" Rydia and Edge simultaneously echoed, shocked by the news.

Mist nodded.

Rydia shook her head.Only a few minutes ago, Chocobo had left their presence after filling them in on various points of interest.Now, Mist had just formed in front of them they way she always did, informing them of this new point of interest.

Edge blinked.

"_Falcon!" he directed, pointing._

Nodding, the Caller followed, and they took off for Baron.


	6. In Which, a daring rescue transpires, an...

5)---------- In Which, a daring rescue transpires, and Kain is advised to stay sanitary

5)---------- In Which, a daring rescue transpires, and Kain is advised to stay sanitary.

TIMELINE:12 years ago, Baron

"27 lost today," a Dragoon named Tobias reported in regards to yet another battle between Baron and Eblan.

Rorunar tapped his fingers on his desk impatiently.While in the grand scheme of things, 27 wasn't a large number, out of the Dragoons specifically, it was quite a large amount.

"Why is it that we never win anymore?"

"I couldn't begin to say, Sir."

"They were younger?"

"Yes, Sir.All with us for less than five years."

"So while our currently weaker fighters are being wiped out, our stronger ones are constantly getting older with no one to take their places.This war is getting on my nerves."He turned and glanced at one of his youngest students of the time, sitting in a corner with his studies as punishment for being annoying."You have a problem?"

Kain blinked, indeed appearing slightly upset.

"Sir," he said hesitantly, "that just strikes me as being rather cold.I mean . . . you've really stuck out your neck for me on various occasions.So why do _they get tacked up as just a statistic and an annoyance?"_

"They're not being tacked up as a statistic, believe me.And _you're the one who's been annoying.What you have yet to learn, Kain, is exactly how many people die in each battle.Even after fighting in several."_

"I know how many die."

"Do you?"

"27 did today, I know that."

"All right, Smart Guy, so tell me exactly what I should do about it?"

Kain chewed on the end of his pencil.If he'd ever thought joining the Dragoons would mean the end of schoolwork, he'd been quickly disillusioned.Rorunar had seen to it that all those who joined before finishing school had to finish their courses when off duty to avoid having any idiots in his army, or so he said.

"I don't know.But it doesn't seem right to brush it off like that."

"I know it doesn't," Rorunar replied with a rare display of compassion entering his tone briefly."Unfortunately, there is little else to do.Little else but than to chalk it up and move on."

Kain made a show of frowning thoughtfully.

"And . . . if per chance, someone should blame our losses on your training?"

"Kain, you are being annoying once again."

"I realize that, Sir!" he brightly replied.

Tobias grinned.

"Sir Rorunar has effectively turned the Dragoons upside-down since taking over," he informed the younger one."But trust me - things have settled into a much better position than they were in before."

Kain tossed a glance between the pair of them.

"You're telling me that _this is considered settled down?" he speculated skeptically."If so, I'm glad I'm not around in a state of chaos.I'd've probably shot myself long ago."_

"You," Rorunar declared, "couldn't shoot yourself if you had a target drawn on your nose.Or have you forgotten your one and may I say _only incident with a bow and arrow?"_

A flush entered the boy's cheeks at the memory.It wasn't a pleasant experience . . . fortunately for him, the cat had recovered nicely.

"In any case," Rorunar told him, "be careful how you interpret a general state of empathy.Things may not be how you originally see them.When it comes to their true feelings, people are _excellent liars."_

Tobias backed out of the room at that, somber.Rorunar knew exactly how he felt.

TIMELINE:Present.

Johnathan, the pilot for the _Enterprise, was deposited unceremoniously in a clearing near the City of Baron, where the Toroian Clerics figured he'd be easily visible._

He was.

_Serpentine, heading out leading the rest of Baron's Airships to more securely investigate matters, halted upon spotting him and landed nearby._

The Captains from the Airships convened to decide what to do now, since he was so very unconscious, and nothing they did seemed to revive him.The consensus came out to be that they would return to Baron once again.

To see what information the pilot could give them.

*

It took quite an effort for Rosa to revive him.For some reason, the standard revivification spells had very little effect.Finally, though, she got him awake and aware for the most part, and sent for some food to get his drugged systems back in line.

Three bowls of chicken soup later, he was able to speak coherently.

"The Toroians have captured all Airships we sent out," he began shakily.

"How?" Cid demanded.

"They cast a SLEEP spell over _Moon.Knocked everyone out."_

"How could they do that to so many from such a distance?" Rosa asked, startled.

"It pretty much drained them, but they did it.Then they shot up some ropes and boarded _Moon.After they secured the crew, they signaled to Torram that there was something he should check out.And when he got in position, they did the same thing.And on, and on."_

"But how did they get Cecil?" Rosa wanted to know."He had _Enterprise all WALLed up!"_

"They tried lightning, but it bounced off.So they started Calling."

"Toroia doesn't have a Caller," Cid stated.

"Not that we knew of."

Rosa sighed.

"What do they want?I'll assume that the only reason they let you go was to relay to us their demands."

"Yes.They want the Toroian Princess."

"Forciara?"

"Yes.They have Maylara.So they want Forciara.And if we don't hand her over by nightfall tomorrow, they're going to start executing our people."

Rosa slammed her fists into her sides and swore creatively. 

"What do we do?!" she demanded of Cid, who was wincing at her dialogue.

"Hey, you're the Queen!"

"Cid!!"

"I don't know, Rosa!I couldn't begin to tell you, all right?"

She forced herself to calm down and thought.Johnathan stared into his empty soup bowl and thought with a sad expression.It was never easy to bear such news.

"Cid . . . would you go find Kain for me?I need to talk with him."

"Right."

***

Unbeknownst to them, but knownst to us, the Toroian Princess in question had been listening in on the entire conversation with a priority of self-preservation.Now she decided to seek out her Baronian counterpart.

***

Rydia and Edge burst into the room just as Cid rose to leave.

"Rosa!Cid!Shiva and Ramuh were Summoned to attack _Enterprise!" Rydia exclaimed._

The three of them just stared at the two of them.

"What?" Edge asked.

***

Princess Veronica, the two and a half year old daughter of Cecil and Rosa, one-fourth Lunarian heir to the throne of Baron, blinked her unusually intelligent bright green eyes in surprise at the confrontation.

"Yes!" Forciara reiterated."My name is Forciara, and I'm a Toroian Princess, just like you're a Baronian Princess!We're both royalty!"

Veronica frowned, trying to figure with her young brain what this strange, blue-haired woman wanted with her.

"Do you want to play?" she asked in clear, if slightly accented, language, picking up one of the stuffed animals she was curled up with and thrusting it up at the stranger who had awakened her from her midday nap.

Forciara smiled and took the plush toy in her grasp.Veronica looked up at her with wide-eyed innocence, not detecting the malice in the smile, nor feeling the fear she would if she'd been a little more knowledgeable about the ways of evil.

"Yes," she replied in a silky voice."Yes, Veronica Dear, I'd love to.But let's play something new.Something I'm not sure you've ever played before."

Veronica frowned again and sat up.

"What?"

Forciara jumped at the sounds of footsteps outside the door.

"Not now," she softly informed the baby princess."But later?Do you want to play my game later?"

Intrigued in spite of herself, Veronica nodded.

Kain entered the room.

"How did I guess to find you here?" he asked, raising his eyebrows at the Toroian.

"I wonder."

"Hmm."Kain brushed past her and picked up the princess, moving to take her along with him."Maybe it had something to do with the aura of sheer desperation that's just oozing from everywhere.Just let me warn you.If your desperations in any way carry over to this child, I will personally make you feel much, much pain."

Cid appeared on the scene.

"Kain, Rosa needs you.We have a problem."

***

"We mean you no malice, Your Majesty," one of the Toroian Clerics was in the process of telling Cecil."We wish only to have our child returned to us."

"You . . . have a funny way of showing a lack of malice," Cecil pointed out, indicating the enchanted chains around his wrists.

"Precaution.Otherwise, you would be able to simply teleport yourself and your people back to your Kingdom.The enchantment on the chains prevents that."

"And, if I may ask, how do you justify attacking a poultry farm on Baronian land?"

"Merely seeking what is ours."

"Really."Cecil blinked his green eyes, staring right through her."And is this the same way Maylara sees the situation?"

"Maylara has no love for you, King Cecil.You were simply the nearest Kingdom where she felt she could consider herself safe."

"An illegal alien, to be sure.But on Baronian soil.And that justifies your attack as an act of war.Also contributing to that would be the fact that you have captured half of my Air Force and are threatening executions unless we hand over someone who has been taken under our protection.Do you really want a war so badly?Because if so, there are a few maniacs in my dungeon who would _love to speak with you."_

"At the moment, we simply desire what is ours.And so will do what it takes to secure that."

"Now . . . I hate to sound cliché," Cecil pointed out in a silky, if seething, voice, "but you realize that you _won't get away with this?"_

"We hold all of the cards, Your Majesty.I very much doubt your people will allow you to be executed to save the life of a Toroian – especially after Toroia has attacked your land.It's just a matter of time."

***

"I don't want her hearing this," Rosa softly informed Kain, gesturing lightly to the Princess.

"I'm not sure it's wise to leave her unattended," Kain informed her back.

"What?" Rosa snapped, instantly furious to consider a threat to her child, even as she nodded to Cid to take care of her, leaving the pair of them alone.

"Let's just say that our favorite Toroian Princess is getting edgy."

"Oh . . . . dear, she must've heard . . . "

"Heard what?"

"Kain, sit down.There's a lot for me to fill you in on."

"Okay."

He sat and awaited what she had to say.

"_Enterprise went out to investigate the matter of the Redwings and Toroia.It, along with Cecil, has been captured."_

"_What?!"_

"Kain – "

"How in the name of . . . I don't know, _something, could they have – "_

"They used magic and Summoned Monsters.And hostages."

Kain forced himself calm.

"I see."

"They also have Maylara.And if we don't hand over Forciara by nightfall tomorrow, they're going to start executing our people."

"I see."

"You see?!What am I supposed to do, then?Why do they want this girl so badly?Just because she's an Empath – "

"Rosa, I don't think you realize what a dangerous power that is.Neither does she, apparently.Alone, it's of little use, offensively.But mix it with any amount of common sense, and you have a very dear threat."

"So how can we hand her over to them?"

"We can't.She's in our custody."

"But what about all our people that are being held prisoners?!"

"Calm down, Rosa.I can't think clearly if _you can't think clearly."_

"Huh?Oh . . . well, I can hardly just calm down!!Think about it, Kain!"

"I _am thinking!Give me a minute – I'll come up with something!"_

He got up and paced a few laps around the empty council table.

"Cecil should be able to EXIT all of them to safety.Why wouldn't he have done so by now?" he asked after a bit of thought.

"I don't know.Maybe they're restricting his magic . . . an MP barrier, or some kind of blocking enchantment."

"Well, Rosa, I'm beginning to think the only thing we can do is go after them."

"But – "

"Discreetly, of course."

She sat down weakly.

"But, Kain . . . that's dangerous . . . send someone in, if they fail . . . and get caught . . . "

"We already have spies on the matter, I'd thought."

"Yes . . . but that was before all this happened."She buried her face in her arms."I'm not sensing a very happy ending to this, Kain."

He lightly laid one hand on her shoulder.

"Oh . . . we'll come up with something.Don't worry so much."

"How can you take this so lightly?"

"Oh, I'm not.But there's really very little we can do other than think objectively.It's the only way we're going to save them."

"Okay.So say we send someone in.What would they do?"

"Find out how Cecil's powers are being restricted.Break that, and we're home free."

"Who could we send?"

"Who do you think?"

"Kain . . . "

"Yes, Rosa?"

Rosa stared at him incredulously for a long moment, then shook her head.

"No.You're staying here, where I can see you."

"Whom would you have go, then?"

"Kain, I need you here!!"

"We could send along Cami or Lori.Maybe Thomas.If he got caught, he could suck up to the Toroians enough so that they'd beg us to take him off their hands . . . or just cut his head off."

"Kain, stop that!"

"It's your call, Rosa.You're the Queen.I could go for it anyway, but I won't.I'll respect your word.What do you say?"

"I say . . . I say . . . I say let me be for awhile.I need to think."

He nodded.

"Just yell if you need me."

And he left her alone.

*

He thought he'd check in with his people and see if Lori and Cami had been exaggerating earlier that day about their state of chaos.They weren't, but he quickly got things straightened out.

"Listen," he snapped at the group of unruly new recruits, "you do what these guys tell you, or you _will regret it!"He then turned and demolished a tree with his Lance._

And thus, the students decided to stop giving the two impromptu trainers a hard time and he headed off to his office to get a few things in order.

Plopping heavily at his desk, he looked at the mound of paperwork and sighed.Rosa was right.As the economy improved, people got spoiled.And thus, demanded much more of people . . . in the way of trivial political things that he really didn't care about.Like paperwork.

In a moment of exasperation, he let his wall down momentarily before reestablishing it quickly.

Then he snapped up straight and looked around.

Then, gingerly, he let his block down again, allowing his new sense to skim over the room.

He hadn't been mistaken.There was a presence there.Tugging at him.At his senses, lightly, in an almost playful manner.He recognized the feel of it somehow.Not directly, but it was strangely reminiscent of something he knew he knew very well.

Rising, he let the tugging sensation on his empathic abilities lead him to a very specific place on the floor of the room.Then, acting on a whim, he yanked out the floorboards to expose what should have been the foundation of the Barracks building complex.

And what instead was a large compartment built into the foundation.

_Well . . . this is different._

The tugging sense was still very present, so he reached down to the lock on the compartment door.At his touch, it froze up into solid ice and shattered.

There was no longer any doubt in his mind as to who he was dealing with.

He pulled the door open, revealing a large rectangular prism, about 13 feet in length, two in width, constructed of solid, opaque, dry ice.With his name inscribed clearly in the center.

He shuddered.

Wouldn't you?

Reaching down tentatively, he lightly touched the surface of the thing, and surprisingly unsurprisingly, it shattered into countless pieces at his touch.No longer ice - the encasement shattered into thousands of tiny teardrops of pure crystal.He caught his breath.

_Rorunar, you lived to befuddle me, didn't you?_

Resting quietly, now released from its icy prison, was a neatly folded piece of paper, and a twelve and a half foot long fighting lance.One he recognized quite well.

Sir Rorunar's weapon.

The Venus Gospel.

He shook his head and unfolded the accompanying piece of paper.

Dear Kain - yes, I live to befuddle you.

Kain blinked at that first line and started to laugh.And continued laughing to the point where it was some time before he could continue reading.

The dream remained entirely forgotten.

***

Just when Cecil was beginning to think his captors were going to let him retire to the nice, damp dungeon and check in with his people, yet another Cleric decided to speak with him _privately_.

"Leave us," she snapped at the Guards, who nodded and backed out of the room silently, closing and locking the door behind them."Now," she said, directing her attentions to Cecil, "have a seat, Your Majesty."

He remained standing beside a large table that he concluded must be used for something other than eating, considering the amount of dust on top of it.

She frowned.

"Very well."Sauntering up rather close, she blinked her large blue eyes and murmured, "You know, there is much we can do for one another, King Cecil."

Cecil still remained standing still, although he did turn a bewildered expression on her.

_This chick can_not_ be serious._

"At least you don't waste words," she muttered, brushing off his attitude and reaching up to kiss him.

He kicked her in the shin.

"OW!" she yelped, jumping back several feet."You - you kicked me in the shin!!"

Cecil just blinked at her.

Forcing herself calm, the nameless Toroian Cleric pasted on a superficial smile which barely hid her anger at his gesture.

"I can promise you and your people freedom.Don't you know that?"

"I know this," he declared airily."If you put your face near mine again, there's going to be a piece missing when you pull away."And he growled menacingly, managing to suppress his laughter at the expression on her face at this.

"Oooooo!!!" she seethed, pounding her fist on the table and coughing at the large cloud of dust that rose."GUARDS!!!"

The door burst open.

"Take this Freak-of-Nature-Yet-Strikingly-Cute-Dark-Knight-_Foreigner to the dungeon!Wait, before that, beat him!Beat him good!He kicked me in the shin!!"_

And she stormed past them all and down the hall, slamming the door after her.

"Oh, joy!" one of the Guards exclaimed to the other."A beating!"

"Enjoy it while you can," Cecil absently suggested."Because you're both going to be writhing in agony soon enough."

The other poked him with her sword.

"Now now, Your Majesty," she jibed."You're hardly in a position to make threats."

"Oh?I'd disembowel you both right now, except that then you might to something unspeakably rude to my colleagues."

"That we would," they affirmed."Now just make this easier on us all and hold still."

***

Unfortunately, my befuddling days may be just about over.Let me explain, I'm sure you're wondering what on Earth is up with all this.Not every day you happen upon a legendary weapon encased in ice stuck in your floorboards.

_You got that right, Rorunar.That, along with probably everything else._

_ _

I am writing this a few hours after we last spoke concerning the Redwing's trial mission and your growing attitude problem (by the way, I do hope you're as annoying as ever?Really, kid, don't ever change).As I said, I have a rather dreadful feeling as to the outcome of tomorrow, and so intend to be prepared.It's fairly easy to get my affairs in order - I haven't many.The only thing that concerns me is the possibility that you may be left on your own to run things for a time.

_Right again._

_ _

One thing I feel I must say and that is this: as a Dragoon, I'm afraid you have more potential than anyone I've ever met.For you to have reached the level you're at in the few years you've been at it is quite amazing - so I hold the hope that you will, in time, or perhaps even by the time you get this stupid letter, have reached a level high enough to be able to handle this weapon.It's not as easy as you may think.

Kain finally reached down and plucked the Venus Gospel from its place in the floorboards.It _seemed normal enough . . . _

I know, I know.It seems normal enough, doesn't it?It's a very powerful weapon.And one to be used with a certain degree of respect.Different accounts have placed it at perhaps 15 thousand years ago, perhaps earlier.Possibly as old as Masamune, if you've come across that creature by chance.If not, don't worry about it.You're not missing anything good.

_Yes, we know Masamune's not necessarily something we'd miss._

Turning the Lance over in his hand, Kain had to wonder in spite of himself of the condition of this weapon.If it was really so old . . . 

No, it's not dilapidated or decrepit in any way.Magical weapon, you know.

_Of course.With you, Rorunar, everything has some__ form of secret power.Even myself, I suppose._

_ _

Nor is it as delicate as it may appear.You'll learn this with experience.Treat it well, it will do the same for 

you.And I doubt you'll find anything better.If so, let me know and I'll promptly eat my words.

Another point - when this weapon was first created, it was created to work in direct proportions with the 

user's MP status.For instance: if one's MP was full, it would take off several thousand damage points.If one's MP was empty, you'd do just as well kicking the enemy in the shin.I realize that this causes you a conflict, being a non-magic user.Don't worry.Somewhere along the line, it was modified to work independently of any magical influence.However, it still holds the ability to channel an ability or power and enhance it spectacularly,whether such an ability happens to be an Icy Glare, or a simple state of Empathy.There are ways.I suggest you figure them out as soon as possible.

Kain frowned.True, Rorunar had known of his latent ability, but at the time they'd considered the matter (indeed, up until a few days ago) that power had been dormant with no signs of awakening.How could he have known that it would be sparked up?

For the first time, a memory of his magic-induced delirium almost sparked, but then fell silent.

While of course, I'm guessing that your ability will surface.In fact, I'm guessing about a lot of things.I 

really have no way of knowing when you'll find this.Hopefully, though, when you do, things will be in a considerably more pleasant state than they are now.

_If only you knew.Or maybe you did__ know. I guess . . . that's something I'll never__ know._

_ _

I wish I had a couple more years at least to train you.You're good for your level - you and Cecil are probably about as good as they come.But there are still many tactics that you're as of yet unready for.

A sigh escaped from the Dragoon reading the letter.He'd known that.He'd known that there was still much of his trade he didn't know.But he was the only one left who could pass on what little knowledge he had.

Things like multi-slash and Limit Breaks.Maybe you'll get them on your own.Being an Empath, I think you have a better chance than many.Sadly enough, I don't think there's anyone else in our little army worth 

teaching in such matters.Good people, but some people just can't do it.I think you can, though.

And Kain, for about the thousandth time, found himself wondering what it was about himself that had set him apart from his peers in the eyes of his old teacher - what made him worth it and the others not.Perhaps that was one more thing he'd never discover.

You know, after living for as many thousands of years as I have, it strikes me as odd that I have so little to 

say.Take care of yourself.Eternity is a long time - whether in this life or not, I'm quite certain we'll be meeting again.So don't think I'm letting you off the hook.Until then, my friend: stay sanitary.

Kain blinked at that last line, followed by the illegible signature he knew so well.

_Stay sanitary?!What kind of idiotic thing is that__ to say to someone?!?!_

Upon further reflection, he realized that it was just exactly the type of thing he'd come to expect from Sir Rorunar.

He sighed and slung the Venus Gospel over his back along side his other Lance.Quite possibly (and he felt a pang of worry as he recalled the situation they were in) he'd soon get a chance to test it out.

A faint pulse touched his hand from the weapon as he let go of it, but before he could react, a knock came on the door and Cami poked his head in.

"Sir?Rosa wants to speak with you."

Kain nodded and left for the Castle.

*

"You're right, I guess," she sighed."You have to go.Because you have the best chance of succeeding."

Kain nodded.

"Leave first thing in the morning . . . I guess."She fixed him with a fierce glare."And be careful!!"

"Naturally."

Her fierce glare turned confused.

"Hey . . . isn't that Sir Rorunar's weapon?"

Kain just grinned.

"Yes."

And left.

***

"Okay, that got old," Torram stated.

The other prisoners had to agree, and stopped singing.

After about a minute of just hanging there, all chained up to the walls in the Toroian Dungeon, they broke again, though.

"I know a good one!!" someone exclaimed.

"Oh, not again!" whined someone else.

The first glared at him menacingly and burst into song.

"I want to get awaaaaaay!I wanna flyyyyyyyyy aaaaawaaaaaayyaaaaa, Yeaaaaaah yeaaaaah yeahhhhhhhh - "

Torram blinked.

"Who wrote that?"

"The great ancient one!Lenno Cravitz!"

"What kind of name is that?"

"Well, it was something like that anyway.I may be wrong."

"I got one!!" yelped the pilot of the _Horizon.Torram winced inwardly."99 bottles of Kool-Aid on the wall, 99 bottles of Kool-Aid . . . "_

"Who came up with _that one?" wondered someone._

"Originally?No one knows.But I believe it was altered by another of the great ancient ones: Spikeman."

"Spikeman?" Torram repeated, blinking."Guys, we are prisoners, locked up in a dungeon, and about to be executed.Can we please sing something more appropriate?"

"Sure thing, Captain!" chimed one of his buddies, Franklin."Chika's going toooo conquer theee univerrrrrrrse . . . "

"Then eveRY thing GOOD and eVIL WILL be HERS - " chimed in the others, and soon everyone was belting out the familiar tune quite happily.

Halfway through the song, however, the door to the dungeon was thrown open, and at the sight of what came in, they all shut up and snapped up to attention.

"I," Cecil told them in a soft voice as he was led in, "much prefer the Spikeman.He had one of those twisted yet appealing senses of humor."

The guards simultaneously jabbed him in the sides with their swords, and he raised his hands lightly, not flinching at the blow.

"All right, I'm shutting up already!" he informed them in a light tone.

Frowning, the Guards glanced at each other in befuddlement, and Torram got the impression that they were consternating over the fact that their prisoner wasn't writhing in agony.From the looks of him, they'd beaten him up pretty well.

What they didn't understand was that Cecil didn't _writhe._He did many things, but he simply _didn't writhe_.

Rather than dwell on it, though, the Guards shoved him forward and attached his enchanted manacles to the wall in a vacant spot in the nearly filled dungeon.

"Same to you, Darlings!" Cecil called after the pair of them as they left.

One threw him an alarmed look and ran, like, _ran out of the room._

"Man, you spooked 'em out!" Pinky remarked admiringly."What'd you do, Sir?"

"Absolutely nothing," Cecil calmly replied.

"Probably the last thing they'd ever expect from someone like you," Torram added, nodding slowly."Are you okay?"

Cecil nodded.

"They had their fun.I look forward to squashing them all."

"Um . . . are you sure you're okay?Because you're, like, bleeding all over the floor."

"I realize that," Cecil informed him with the faintest tint of humor coloring his tone."And since you're so interested, I'd also say three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken leg.And," and for the first time, a slight tinge of anger entered his voice, "they messed up my hair."

Torram winced.Yes, the Toroians were going to be writhing in agony.

The others began to murmur among themselves at this report, furious at the mistreatment of their ruler.But when they turned back, it was with a higher degree of respect.Cecil's pain tolerance level had always been high, but this was outrageous.

"What," Torram asked tentatively, "do you think they're doing about this at home?"

Cecil frowned faintly.

"Kain and Rosa probably argued about what to do after Cid proved himself to be useless, and by the time Rosa came to the conclusion to let Kain come give us a hand, it was too dark to navigate correctly through the forests.Which means he'll head out first thing tomorrow morning."

"What's the time difference between Baron and Toroia?" asked one of the new guys.

"Six hours or so," Torram replied.

"How long does it take to get here from there?"

"That would depend entirely on the mode of travel."

"Seven hours," Cecil interjected.

Everyone turned to him speculatively.

"Two by Airship," he explained."As close as you can come without being seen by Toroia's lookouts.Then by chocobo, another four.They're fast, but not as fast as traveling by air.Another hour to actually swindle your way into the Kingdom and make your way where you want to go."

"You guys been planning for this?" Techie demanded.

Cecil shrugged his good shoulder.

"We . . . had the same teacher."He glanced around at the nervous prisoners."Don't worry," he assured them."We're not going to be executed just yet.Techie, wipe that sour look off your face.I don't feel quite up to dealing with your attitude just now."

Techie instantly removed his sour expression.One thing about Cecil, he could definitely command respect when he wanted to.No one messed with him when he was at his best.

"Sir," Torram said."Your Majesty.This is my fault.It was my command."

"Don't be an idiot, Torram," Cecil admonished with a faint hiss."Things go wrong.Believe me . . . I understand that."

)))))-----DREAM SEQUENCE #2-----(((((

Again, as is the case with nearly all dreams, Kain had no memory of where it began.When his brain began burning the subconscious activity into his mind this time, however, it was with the distinct feeling that he'd been here before.

Of course!He realized it as if it were noting the time of day.After all, nothing seems unusual in a dream, and as the memory of the former unconscious meeting took place, he found himself reliving it, in the same position, the same place as the other had begun.

This time, though, he was watching everything replay itself out from different eyes.He saw himself kneeling, saw the four beings make themselves known.They were saying something different this time, and he couldn't understand what it was, but he didn't really worry about it.

For an undetermined length of time, he stood and watched everything happen, feeling strangely detached from everything happening.

Now, as the four beings merged into the light, the dream finally took a twist, as he felt himself dissolve as well.

"You're still not getting it, you know."

He blinked, although he didn't have any eyes.In fact, he found himself with no shape or form of any kind.But this didn't alarm him.

"Aren't I?"

"No.You have to think.Stop blocking me with your conscious mind."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"Oh.Sorry."

"Whatever."

The light dimmed around him, and again he was looking down on the four kneeling figures about to be consumed with the black fire.

Only this time, there was a difference.

Rosa was not present.He saw himself kneeling in her place.

The arrow.

Now, a single drop of blood.

The crown.

A saxophone?

"Don't fight me.You're clueless.You need me."

Kain again turned and faced his teacher's impenetrable glare.

He shrugged.

"I . . . "

*

Kain, knowing he was going to need all the rest he could get, had finally managed to get himself to sleep, when his door flew open and a frantic bundle of cotton nightgown and purple hair attacked him.

He woke up and tried to dislodge the Princess from his neck, temporarily winded by the immense fear she was exuding, having not had a chance to block out his new sense after his rude awakening.

The dream vanished from his mind.

"Easy, Verny," he said, plucking her off."What's the matter?"

Before she could think to answer with her two year old logic, lightning flashed and thunder cracked loudly enough to wake a coma patient.

She screamed and nearly strangled him grabbing on to his neck again.

He coughed.

"Hey, don't try to kill me, Your Highness!" he advised, again plucking her off.

"Make it stop!" the baby princess begged, looking up at him with wide, trusting eyes.

Kain blinked, trying to establish exactly when it had come to pass that he'd actually begun to _like_ children.

"What, the thunder?"

She nodded.

"I can't stop thunder," he informed her with a smile."But you don't need to be afraid.Thunder can't hurt you, and as long as you're inside, the lightning won't hurt you either."

"But what if it does?!" she cried.

"It won't."

"But what if it does?!?!" she cried again, the tears beginning to run.

Kain got up and sat her on his bed, searching through a chest of drawers for something.

"What are you doing awake at this hour?" he asked.

The child blinked.

Thunder cracked again.

"Never mind," he remarked."I understand it all now.Ah," he said, finding what he was looking for.

Going back to the Princess, he took her hand and slipped a silver ring on one of her tiny fingers.

"Take this, then," he told her."Just in case."

"What is it?"

"It's called a Wall Ring.I acquired it just recently . . . it will block all elemental attacks.That's fire, ice, and - " another boom of thunder shook the Castle, " - lightning.Now you don't need to be afraid of the thunder."

She put on a brave face.

"I'm not afraid."

Kain had to grin, sensing the fear that had only slightly diminished.

"It's good that you're not afraid," he told her, sitting beside her."Because tomorrow, I need you to take care of your mother for me.Could you keep an eye on her?Make sure nothing happens until I get back?"

"Where are you going?" Veronica demanded."And where's my daddy?"

"He's off on business," Kain told her."I need to go meet him.Can you manage the Kingdom?"

Veronica smiled, proud of the responsibility being placed on her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Good girl," Kain told her.

Thunder crashed, and she yelled, dropping her pretense of bravery, crawling into his lap and trying to hide her face.

Kain tried not to laugh.

"So, brave defender, are you ready to go back to your room?"

"NO!" she cried."Um . . . I'd better stay here . . . in case you get scared."

Now Kain was trying very hard not to laugh.

"That's very kind of you," he told the child on his lap."But will you go to sleep?"

She flung herself on the bed and pulled the blanket up to her nose.

"I'm already asleep!" she brightly told him.

He nodded.

"Of course you are.Silly me."

Rising, he walked to the window and watched the storm for a time.If only the Princess realized how _right she was to be afraid of everything that was going on.He'd have to remember to have Rosa WALL the __Serpentine against the lightning before they took off tomorrow._

He'd be no help to Cecil or anyone else if he got fried into a charred mass of nothing.

***

Later, when the sun rose through the overcast morning sky over Baron and Kain prepared to set off, Cecil and Co. were still dealing with their situation to the best of their abilities.

"I spy, with my little eye," Techie sighed in boredom, "something beginning with . . . D."

"Dirt," Cecil snapped.

Techie sighed.

"You always guess!"

"You've been so predictable!Whether it's 'filth' or 'crud' or 'goo,' it's always the same."

" 'Goo' was a good one, though," Torram admitted."It stumped me."

Cecil had to concede that "goo" had stumped him as well.

Franklin, who was closest to the door, straightened suddenly.

"Someone's coming!" he hissed.

Anyone who'd been dangling by their chains instantly snapped upright, stiff and blank-faced, although most had remained in a such position all along as a silent protest of the situation.Or maybe it was because Cecil wasn't about to move if possible due to his numerous injuries and the others remained upright out of respect to that.In any case, everyone assumed their position and froze.

The door swung open and the prison cook entered, along with two Guards.

The prisoners stared at them icily, no one moving an inch, save to follow their every motion with their eyes.

"Okay, you dogs!" the cook snarled."I've brought you food!"

A large pot of something purple was dropped in the middle of the floor.

"Who's first?"

His question was replied to only by the unchanging glares of the prisoners.

Turning to Franklin, he sneered.

"What?Not hungry?"

Franklin just stared right through him as if he wasn't there.

Angry, the cook turned away and took a startled step back at the sight of everyone in the dungeon staring straight through him, frozen.It was a spooky sight.

"Stop it!" he snarled."Or you'll get no last meals before your heads get chopped off!"

Still, everyone continued to stare at him.

Unable to repress a shudder, the cook turned to Cecil.

"You're in authority," he spat."Tell them to stop."

Cecil didn't even blink.

The Guards, the same ones who had brought Cecil in the night before, were beginning to seem edgy.

One barged up in Cecil's face.

"You heard Philo-mathe!Get your people in line!Now!"

Cecil still didn't even blink.

"Do you want me to fracture your skull?!"

He made no reply, and she pounded him smartly upside the head.

Cecil continued to stare straight through her, oblivious, which was freakier from him than anyone else in the dungeon because of his neon eyes.Neon eyes can really spook a person if you try hard enough.And Cecil was trying quite hard, although she couldn't tell.She just knew that a chill ran up her spine and she backed off.

"Let them starve," advised the other."They'll come through soon enough.Or not.If not, then that's that many fewer we need to execute."

The three of them, feeling oddly frightened by these strange prisoners, turned tail to flee the room.

"Do you really think," Cecil called softly just as they were closing the door, "that you will be _able_ to execute us?"

On cue, everyone began to laugh.A low, eerie, haunting laugh.

The Toroians slammed the door and ran.

For a moment, silence reigned in the dungeon.Then:

"I enjoyed that," Techie admitted.

"Good for you," Cecil told him."That girl packs quite a punch!She just removed my wisdom teeth!"

"Does that now make you a fool?" Torram jibed.

"I?A fool?What an interesting concept."Cecil blinked at him innocently and blankly for a moment, then grinned slightly and turned to the others."Anyone know why they'd be trying to feed us in the middle of the night?"

"Probably to make sure any sleep anyone may have been getting was thoroughly interrupted," Techie sulked.

"You weren't asleep," Cecil reminded him.

"So?It's the concept of the matter!"

"Yes . . . I suppose it is."

*

A few hours later, when the very first lights of dawn were beginning to show through the single window in the dungeon, the woman who had first demanded Cecil's surrender, the Captain of Toroia's Guard, barged in on the dungeon, meeting the same treatment as the room service had earlier.She, however, was having none of it.

Whipping out her belt-knife, she snapped it to Franklin's throat.

"How _dare you!!!" she snarled."How dare you make fools out of my people?!"_

"They didn't need our help to look like fools," Franklin hotly informed her, oblivious, or so it seemed, to the blade at his throat.

Seething, she promptly sliced his left ear off.

He barely stifled a yelp, biting down on his tongue, the pain of which alone almost made him yelp again.But he held his peace.

Which was more than Cecil could do this time.

"Keep your hands off him!" he snapped.

Startled by the authority in his voice, she lowered her weapon and turned.

"If you _ever," Cecil spat, struggling against his chains for the first time, "lay another hand on one of my people, I will - "_

"What can you do, Your Majesty?" she logically pointed out."You are in no position to make any threats."

Cecil, with practiced accuracy, kicked up a pebble from the grimy floor and then kicked it straight into her face, hitting her in the right eye._Hacky sack – YES!Still the champ, still the champ . . ._

"Yaaah!!" she exclaimed, reeling back in pain and astonishment, pulling a Potion from her belt and quickly healing the damage to her eye.She stalked over to him and glared into his eyes darkly, her anger quite visible.

"Point taken," she curtly snapped, before pivoting and barging right back out of the room.

Cecil sighed deeply, wincing ever so slightly from his movement, which seemed to have dislocated his shoulder a bit more.Oh well.

"Franklin?"

"I . . . I'm okay, Sir."

Cecil nodded.

"Hang in there."

"Yes, Sir."

"Is that cureable?" Torram inquired of him in a low tone.

"Absolutely.He'll be fine."

Torram sighed quite deeply himself.

"I just don't like hanging here while those @#$%s keep barging in and beating people at will."

"None of us do.Keep your head.Didn't anyone ever teach you your prisoner's etiquette?"

Torram blinked.

"Prisoner's etiquette?"

"Yes."Cecil frowned slightly, trying to remember the whole thing."Let's see.Oh, there was a whole list.Remind me when we get home.#35: never let your captors have the satisfaction of seeing your pain.#48: no matter what happens, you keep a condescending attitude."

"But, Sir, isn't that likely to get you killed?"

"Oh, yes."

"I see."

"No . . . I'm not quite sure you do."

"Was that one of Rorunar's things?"

"However did you guess?" 

*

About an hour after the sun had broken over the horizon, everyone was beginning to feel edgy, in spite of themselves wondering about what would happen if no one broke them out before that night.

Cecil was staring off through the window, either concentrating very hard on something or just zoning out.No one could be quite sure.

Techie, on the opposite side of the door from Franklin, was begging to feel particularly edgy.Not surprising when you considered that this was Techie you were dealing with.

"Hey, did anyone else just get the feeling that something extremely vulgar was about to happen?" he tentatively inquired.

A Lance swung through the air and sliced him free of the wall, accompanied by a shriek that scared him nearly out of his wits.

"_You idiot!!!!" he screamed at Kain, who just looked at him where he'd fallen on the floor."You could have killed me!!!!!!"_

"Fine," Kain lightly told him."Next time, I'll leave you to rot.This time, though, make yourself useful."He tossed the technician his Mithril Dagger."Chop out your buddies."

"Yes, Sir!" Techie replied, suddenly feeling agreeable.

He moved along one side of the dungeon, setting his comrades free, while Kain made his way up the other, both of them releasing the others with considerable ease until he happened upon Cecil.

"I do hope you're not going to attempt to hack through enchanted chains with that thing," Cecil hesitantly greeted."Because frankly, the results could be quite painful.For me, at least."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Your Majesty!" Kain brightly assured him, dangling a key in his face."One enchanted manacle key!The Guard was quite easy to pick off.That's why I was three seconds late, by the way.She made an unexpected move."

"Yes, I was beginning to panic."

"You?Panic?Never.Let's see," he continued, carefully working with the somewhat rusty, although enchanted, cuffs on Cecil's wrists."Enchanted manacles.Isn't that just about the oldest trick in the book?Rydia says the last time she had to keep a Mage under wraps, she put up this spell with a cucumber and two weasels - "

"I don't think these people ever read the book," Cecil cut in, as his left hand was freed.Shaking it slightly to restore blood flow, he was finally able to brush away a loose strand of hair that had been stuck in his eye for the past several hours.Don't you just hate it when that happens?"In fact, they're quite stupid."

"Like leaving the enchanted manacle key with the Guards of your cell block?"

"That, and like leaving all our weapons and confiscated items in that box in the corner," Cecil confirmed, pointing.

Kain blinked.

"My my.They really _are stupid!"_

There was a short moment of silence while he set about unlocking the other wristband, both of which were being extremely stubborn.

"You," Kain informed him, noting the dislocation in the bone and now-dry pool of blood on the floor, "are not in good shape."

"I'll get over it."

"I'm sure you will.Think you have enough juice to get us all home?"

"Not at all.They did take the precaution of draining my MP first thing."

"Unusually clever."

"I thought so, yes."

"Tsk tsk.Where would you be without me, Cecil?" Kain sighed, producing an Ether from his item bag.

"Here," Cecil wryly replied, taking the vial and restoring his powers.

The door swung open.

"NOBODY MOVE!!!" commanded a group of Guards.

"Why not?" Kain inquired lightly, hurling a small, fluffy object at them which promptly burst into electrical charge.They screamed and ran.

"What was that?" Torram demanded as Cecil began casting his spell.

"A Bolt Plume, you silly person."

"Oh."Torram frowned."Now would someone explain to me how _he_," and he jabbed his thumb at Cecil, "had _you," and he jabbed a finger at Kain, "timed to the point where he could tell if you were three seconds late?"_

Kain glanced at Cecil who grinned slightly through his chanting and shrugged.

"You know . . . it's just not worth trying to explain."

And they all vanished from the Toroian Dungeon.

*

When they arrived in the courtyard of Castle Baron, it was not without an audience.

Rosa took one look at Cecil and screamed something profane, then forced him to hold still while she cast various healing spells that he was quite capable of casting himself.

Cid and Torram promptly began to yell at one another.

Shiva and Ramuh, who had appeared on the scene a bit earlier, kept wailing apologies.

Kain tried to sneak out of there.

Unfortunately for him, Cecil wasn't having it.

"Just where do you think you're going?!" he demanded, catching the intended departure."Get back here, Dragoon Kain!"

"As you command, Your Majesty!" he replied with a mock-formal bow.

Cecil grabbed his arm and Rosa's and dragged them both into the Castle.

*

"Where's our Princess?" he demanded, once they had enough room to speak.

"Asleep," Rosa told him."The storm kept her awake last night."

"Wake her up.Get her under supervision.The Toroians really want her bad.Kain."

"Yes?"

"How's your paperwork coming along?I think we're about to go to war."

Kain winced sarcastically.

"Dear me.The horror."Then he clanked his Lance against the floor with dead seriousness."And here I'd wanted to take them all out personally."

Cecil was about to say something, then he stopped and reconsidered.

"That's the Venus Gospel."

"Really?I hadn't noticed."

"How did you . . . "Cecil blinked."Never mind.I have a feeling that the explanation will be even longer than this stupid chapter."

"Not really.But I believe we were talking about war?"

"Yes.We have our people back, but they still have six of our Airships."

"We can bring them back easily enough," Cid cut in, entering the council chamber in which they were yammering."They're on remote control."

"Unless the Toroians have overridden your programming," Cecil pointed out.

"I doubt they have the brains for that sort of thing."

"We didn't think they had a Caller, either," Kain reminded him."We were wrong."

"And even if we can bring them back," Rosa added, "they'll have them filled with their own armies.Attacking from above, even on our programming, would give them an advantage, wouldn't it?"

Cid had to concede that it did.

"So what can we do?" Rosa asked, beginning to fret.

"Simple," Cecil stated."Eat.I'm starving."


	7. In Which, Leviathan blows his top and Ba...

6)---------- In Which, Leviathan blows his top and Bahamut notices

6)---------- In Which, Leviathan blows his top and Bahamut notices.

"That was certainly unusual," Rydia remarked to Edge as they returned to Eblan after deciding that they were too confused by the events in Baron.

"Maybe we should stick around," Edge observed."After all, our treaty says that if Baron and Toroia tango, we need to offer some support to our buddies."

"They haven't gone to war yet.Let's see if they can manage to resolve it internally before we go butting in."

"Good idea."

Just as Eblan came into view and they prepared to land the _Falcon, a thick fog began to gather around them._

"Oh great," Rydia sighed."_Now what's going on?"_

Mist appeared before them.

"We have a problem," she blatantly informed the pair.

"What sort of problem?" Rydia almost snapped.She was getting sick of problems.

"Leviathan's bolted on us.We think he's trashing all ethics and going after Jinn."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I wouldn't.Not about this."

Rydia rubbed her temples.

"So . . . what happens if he takes down another Summoned Monster?"

"That's against our law," Mist blandly stated."Bahamut would have to pass judgment in the matter."

Her eyes widening in a sudden burst of horror, the Caller clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Bahamut wouldn't - "

"Don't doubt what he'd do."

"He'd really - "

"Yes."

"Even though - "

"Yes."

"But . . . good gracious."Rydia turned to Edge in a frenzy."I have to go."

He nodded.

"Good luck.I don't get it, but good luck."

"If Leviathan attacks Jinn, Bahamut's within his right to execute him for treason."

"!!"

"Exactly."

She vaulted on Mist's back, and the Dragon vanished, taking the Caller with her.

*

Mist brought them to Asura, who was pacing around frantically in a place Rydia wasn't certain she recognized.The Queen looked up at their arrival.

"Rydia," she greeted."I must ask a favor."

"I?Do you a favor?" Rydia repeated, blinking."Now?!Asura, what's going on?!Why would he - "

"I can't get into reasons, Rydia, we don't have time.But if any of us try to stop him, we're going to confound the problem.Do you see?"

Rydia frowned.

"You can't stop him without breaking the same law you're trying to keep _him from breaking, so you want __me to stop him?"_

"Yes."

"Fine.Where did he go?"

"To find Jinn."

"And where's Jinn?"

"Crescent Mountain."

"Crescent Mountain?What the heck is - "

"I'll take you," Chocobo cut in.

Rydia glanced at him, having not noticed his presence.In fact, as she looked around she could see just about the entire assembly of Summoned Monsters in attendance.

"Fine."

She jumped on the bird's back, and they took off at a blinding pace across several oceans and a few mountain ranges.

And she made a mental note to figure out exactly how these creatures made their way around the world the way they did.

At their arrival, a blast of fire threw her from Chocobo's back and sent her flying a few yards back.

"Ow," she muttered, sitting up.

"This is not your business."

Looking up, she found herself staring right into the eyes of insanity.

"Hello," she greeted, forcing herself to put on a civil face."Um, Jinn, does this mean we're not meeting for cards this weekend?"

He frowned and raised a hand, but before he could move to zap her again, something not unlike a bladed whip cut through the air between them, sending them both jumping back several feet.

"You're right," Leviathan told him, retracting his tail and facing the renegade Monster."This is not her business.It's mine."

"You dare not attack me," Jinn hissed.

"Oh?"

"Lord Bahamut would crush you."

"The way I'm going to crush you unless you have the mother of all explanations for your actions."

Leviathan's glare was one of such fiery rage that Rydia backed off even further from the situation, feeling physically unable to intervene.

Jinn blinked.

"As I said before we were interrupted.My master commands."

The Serpent's eyes narrowed.

"And as I asked before we were interrupted: who is your master?"

Jinn sniffed.

"The Elemental Fire.Your Majesty."

Leviathan drew in a deep breath and poised as if to attack.

"Insufficient data.Try again."

Jinn said nothing.

"Leviathan!!" Rydia snapped just as she was certain he was going to jump at the other."For heaven's sake, don't be a fool!!!"

He jumped, startled by her outburst, and in the split second before he regained his composure, Jinn again blasted him in the face and vanished from the scene.

Furious at having lost his quarry, Leviathan turned his angry gaze to the little human standing a decent distance away.

"Why," he demanded in a forcedly non-violent voice, "did you do that?"

"Because if you killed him, your wife would kill _me," she snapped._

He blinked.

Feeling brave, Rydia stepped up to him.

"Leviathan!!Snap out of it!I know you're mad as heck at the guy, but that doesn't mean you go getting killed over it!This isn't like you.It isn't like you at all."

"Oh?"He arched his neck, still dripping anger from every pore."Then tell me, if you're so clever and versed in the ways of my people, exactly what _is like me?After all, I'd hate to act out of character.It might alienate my audience."_

"Will you stop being angry and think?!" she snapped, feeling almost as angry as he did."The Elemental Fire?What on Earth does _that mean?!"He didn't reply."Stop looking at me like I'm the one who caused all this!Get a grip, Leviathan!"_

"Excuse me," he curtly said, turning and diving swiftly into the nearby ocean.

Rydia sighed and sat down where she was standing.

Chocobo came up beside her.

"He'll come back," he assured her."Probably.After he cools down.He knows he needs to cool down."

"He usually stays so objective of the situation . . . Chocobo, what made him fly over the edge?He was angry before, but - "

"Jinn caught up with Remora, Phoenix, and Golem.Burned 'em to a crisp.It took everything Asura had to put them back together.Leviathan . . . well, he was past livid when he found out."

"Yes . . . he would be."Rydia frowned."Remora, Phoenix, and Golem."

"Yeah."Chocobo blinked."They're all okay now - "

"Elementals of water, air, and earth."

Chocobo blinked again.

"Yeah.Um . . . what are you thinking?"

"I don't know.It's just after that stuff about serving the Elemental Fire . . . "

Chocobo frowned as deeply as she was.

"The Elements that hold the planet together have been without manifestation since the Crystals left the Earth years ago.You don't think they're sparking something up somehow, do you?"

"I don't know.I know little of the subject."

Rydia stood.

"Tell me more."

Chocobo ruffled his feathers.

"About what?"

"Anything that may help tie all this together."

*

Leviathan shot through the ocean at an insane pace, causing several varieties of sea life to keel over from shock and launching a tidal wave at a small, uninhabited island somewhere.

_That treacherous little beast . . . _

The coolness of the ocean water helped to soothe his mood somewhat, fortunately.Otherwise, he may have inadvertently started causing serious damage to innocents, and then Asura would have a cow.

Why.

That was the question that continued to plague him.

Why would a low-level Summoned Monster who'd never had more than a touchy temper in the past go off the wall ballistic and head off on a crusade to obliterate his people?

And why wasn't he, Leviathan, allowed to stop him?!

The law stated that a Summoned Monster may not attack another Summoned Monster unless Summoned to do so.

He, as ruler of the Summoned Monsters, was the one supposed to enforce that law.

Until now, the oxymoronic nature of this statement had not reached him.Now, though, it struck him that there was little he could do to Jinn for his actions, because of his own inability to attack, fight, or beat on the cretin in any way.

And who was the one who would ultimately suffer for the original act of violence?Not the one he was trying to punish, that was certain.No, Jinn would get off because Bahamut wouldn't stand for Leviathan to do his duty.He'd get cut off and cut up before causing even a mild headache on the part of his victim.

So he had to think.

What could he do?

How could he get this psychopath under control?

Why.

Why was this happening?

What _was this Elemental Fire that had popped up into the conversation?_

Sighing, he headed back to the surface to seek some outside input.

*

Rydia and Chocobo looked up from their conversation as he broke the surface of the water before them.

"I," he said by way of greeting, "owe you an apology, Rydia."

"You'll never owe me anything, Leviathan," she sincerely assured him."What do you think of things?Could the Elements be trying to re-manifest themselves?"

Startled by the concept, Leviathan frowned.

"Like . . . as with the Fiends?"

Now Rydia frowned.

"Oh, I'd forgotten them.But Jinn's not a Fiend - "

"No one's born a Fiend.They were born Elementals, just like myself and Chocobo here.Then they used the Dark Crystals to amplify their powers."

"But the Crystals - Light _and Dark - are gone.So that couldn't be it."_

"The Elements exist.So does Evil.Anything's possible."

A spark appeared in the air, and Kuijata appeared floating before the trio.

"Come quickly!" he urged."We have a problem!"

"Not another one?!" Rydia shrieked.

"What - " Chocobo began.

"It's Mist," their messenger explained before vanishing abruptly.

"Mist?" Leviathan echoed, looking confused.He turned to Rydia and Chocobo."Both of you.Let's go."

*

They appeared at the scene of Queen Asura kneeling over the unconscious Dragon, while many of the other Monsters nervously looked on.

"What happened?" Leviathan demanded.

She looked up at him.

"She just . . . went insane."

Leviathan blinked.

"Mist?Went insane?"

Asura nodded.

"Just out of the blue - went completely mad."

"But . . . then what knocked her out?"

"She knocked herself out.Rammed herself head-first into a tree until not only were several trees leveled, but she was thoroughly unconscious."

Leviathan examined the Mist Dragon carefully.

"Try waking her up," he quietly advised.

Asura outwardly cringed.

"Are we sure that's a good idea?After what happened to Jinn - "

"Maybe she can tell us something.We have to find out, Asura."

Sighing to show that she was against this, Asura chanted her healing spells to restore the Dragon.

Chocobo retreated into the background, leaving Rydia, Asura, and Leviathan watching anxiously as Mist awoke.

Opening her eyes, she stared up at the three of them blankly for a moment as an amount of terror built in her gaze.

"No . . . " she murmured, staring at Leviathan."The Water.No Water.No more.No.No."

Her voice growing in intensity, she scrambled to her feet.

"No, no, no, no - "

"Mist," Asura called in a soft voice, "calm down, Dear."

"No, no, no - "

"What's the matter?" Leviathan asked urgently."What's going on?!"

"No, no, no, No, No, NO, NO - "

She backed away from them.

Leviathan moved to follow her and she jumped.

"NOO!Stay back!Stay back!Water!Stay back!!!!!"

Leviathan froze and she evaporated into mist and dissipated into the air.

"What . . . I don't understand," Rydia said softly into the ensuing silence."Jinn, yelling about Fire, now Mist about Water . . . "

Leviathan stared at the place where Mist had vanished.

And was silent.

*

"My thoughts on this matter are not very pleasant," Kuijata informed Rydia later that evening while she was trying in vain to figure this whole thing out.

"Oh?"

"The whole matter of the Elements.It wouldn't surprise me now if Chocobo and Titan blew their tops next."

The concept of losing Chocobo was so appalling that Rydia froze in her tracks for a moment.

"After all," Kuijata explained, "low-level Elementals seem to have this thing going on where they - "

"Oh, let me think, would you?!" she weakly snapped."There has to be a way to stop all this, you know.There always is."

"Not necessarily," he blandly told her."At least, not a way that's necessarily worth using."

"Don't you dare say that again."

"Why not?It could well be true."

"Kuijata, your pessimism is going to drive _me insane before anyone else."_

"Sorry."

The human frowned.

"Where would you fit in with the Elemental gig?I mean, you're like, Multi, or something."

"I don't.I'm one of the odd-balls."

"I see.Okay, here's one.Are Indra and Ramuh considered Elementals?Last I heard, Lightning and Thunder were not considered elements."

"They're not."

"Then what are they?"

"They're just . . . who they are."

"You know, you're not being very much help here."

"Yes, I know.I would like to know, though, why this is only seeming to go after low-level Elementals and not anyone more powerful.If I were an evil force, I'd want someone stronger under my power than Mist or Jinn."

"Yet they're not taking the weakest.If they were, Remora would have gone, not Mist."

"True.Well, maybe they don't like fish."

"Maybe.And the question remains: who are _they?"_

"I couldn't tell you."

"And I think that's what we need to find out.What about Leviathan and Asura?Have they figured anything out?"

"Not really.But she's still fretting that he's going to get himself executed."

Rydia pursed her lips at a thought.

"Maybe . . . maybe I should ask Bahamut some questions."

Kuijata jumped back a bit.

"Are you going to?"

"Yes, I believe I am."

"Then uh . . . please excuse me.I, um, need to go do . . . something."

And he vanished from her sight.

Sighing, Rydia began her incantation to Summon the Dragon.

TIMELINE: 4 years ago - Village Mist

A group of small children, all between the ages of three and ten, sat clustered around a large yellow bird.

"This," a tall woman was saying to them, "is Chocobo.One of the most basic Summons you'll learn, but perfect for your age level."

"Gee, thanks," Chocobo sourly remarked.

The woman smiled.

"Sucks to be you," she told him in an undertone.She then proceeded to instruct the children in the incantation for Summoning this large bird, while they gawked at him with unconcealed amazement that now _they would be permitted to Call the way the adults did._

That made them _big kids now._

"Miriya!" came a shout.

The teacher looked up sharply at the yell, and the children all froze silent, wondering what the problem was.

A young man ran up to her and whispered something in her ear.

Miriya blinked at him and nodded.

"Class dismissed," she told the kids.

Chocobo, at this proclamation, vanished, his Summon completed.

The children dispersed and headed for their homes, with the unnoticed exception of one little girl who hid behind a tree and watched what happened next.

"How long until they get here?" Miriya asked the messenger.

"I couldn't say for sure," he replied."They just entered the cave moments ago."

Nodding, the Caller turned and began to leave the scene.

"Let's not cause a panic," she told him."I'll Call Mist . . . "

And they moved out of the girl's hearing.This upset her, in her childish stubbornness, so she followed at a safe distance.

*

She appeared on the scene outside the village just as the white Mist Dragon, guardian of the little village, appeared.

"What is it?" she inquired of the Caller.

Miriya stepped up close.

"Two soldiers from Baron, a Dark Knight and a Dragon Knight, have entered the Misty Cave, headed this way."She swallowed."They must not be permitted to reach our village.They will destroy us."

Mist nodded.

"They'll not reach your village alive," she assured.

"Please," Miriya begged, "don't harm them unless you must.They may not mean any harm.Try . . . try to turn them back, if you can."

Mist nodded again.

"I will only attack if I must.One way or another, though, I will stop their approach."

Miriya nodded.

Tilting her head to one side, Mist thumped the ground with her tail.

"Fear not, my friend," she assured the human."I can handle the ones from Baron."

And without another word, she vaporized and vanished from the scene.

Miriya stood still for a moment, then shook her head and reentered the village.

*

"Mother!" the girl called after her.

Miriya froze in her tracks, then whirled to face the girl.

"Rydia!What are you - "

"Mother," Rydia asked, running up beside her, "what's Baron?What's a Dragon Knight?Why did you send Mist away without letting me say hello?"

Miriya firmly placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"It doesn't matter," she consoled the child."Rydia, nothing you just saw is important.It's just a little matter I had to clear up.Now why don't you run home and play?"

Rydia blinked, confused.

"But I thought you said they would destroy us!How can it not matter?"

Putting one arm around the little girl, Miriya led her back to the village.

"It doesn't matter because Mist will take care of it.The Summoned Monsters are our friends."

"Yes, Mother."

"You don't need to be afraid."

"No, Mother."

"The Knights from Baron will not harm us."

Rydia looked up at her.

"Why would they?We didn't hurt them."

"I don't know why, Darling.But they won't.Mist will see to that."

*

Little more than an hour later, Miriya collapsed dead on the ground.

Shocked and horrified, bystanders closed in to help, but nothing anyone did seemed to revive her.

Shortly after that, the village burst into flames.

As everyone either died or ran, Rydia sat on the ground, clinging to Miriya's body, not caring what happened next.

Their guardian had failed.Her mother was dead.The Village was collapsing around her.

Why should she bother to run?

So she just sat there and cried, loudly, not caring.

Out of the flames rushed two strangers - tall armored men, who seemed startled to see her there.

Having never been far from the village and knowing little of the world, Rydia felt no fear of these Knights, nor did she even know that was what these two were.She instead reacted to their confusion.

"My mom's Dragon fell, so she did too . . . " she explained to them between sobs.

The taller of the two turned to the other.

"I've heard of people with the power to Summon monsters!They are Callers!"

"We defeated the dragon, so her mother is gone also," the other slowly realized, an equal expression of horror crossing their faces.

Rydia stared at them.

These were the two from Baron?The two Knights who had come to destroy the Village?

"You!" she cried."You've beaten my mother's dragon!"

Why?Why, why had they done this?!They'd never harmed these two, why had they killed her mother?!

"We didn't mean to do this to your mother," one weakly explained to her, as if trying to win forgiveness with such a sorry story as that.

They turned to one another, and she ignored what they were saying.She didn't care.She hated them.

Suddenly she realized how frightened she was.It was hot, with all the fire surrounding her - all the terrible fire consuming everything in her world . . . 

"What about that girl?"

These words, spoken by the man with the Lance, brought her attention back to the invaders.

"We can't leave her here alone!" the other adamantly decided.

Slowly, they moved towards her, as one might approach a wild animal.

"Listen," he told her."It's dangerous.Come with us . . . okay?"

"No!" she snapped, backing away.

She wouldn't go with them.They were evil.They'd killed her friends.Her family.Mist.

The other was having none of it, and went over closer to her.

"Let's take her!" he urgently advised the other.

The other nodded.

Rydia felt a surge of panic.

"No!Go away!"

She backed away from them farther, on the verge of panic.

"Wait!Please!"He looked as if he might want to say more, but she wouldn't hear it.

"Go away!" Rydia yelled."I hate you!I hate you all!"

They exchanged a glance, then closed in on her.

Attacking.

They were going to attack.

And take her away.

Fury and terror overwhelmed her.

Summoning her powers to her, she voiced a chant she'd never used, but had seen her mother incant on occasion.

Titan.

Mist was dead . . . so Titan would save her.

The monster attacked, stunning the two Knights, and vanishing.

For a moment, Rydia felt some relief - she could get out of here and find help somewhere . . . 

Then a rumble reached her ears.

Looking up at the mountainous wall around the Village, the last horrified sight she beheld was the sky falling down upon her.

TIMELINE: Present.

"What is it?" Bahamut inquired with the indifference he usually exhibited.

"Jinn and Mist have gone insane," Rydia informed him.

"I know."

"You know?"

"Yes, of course."

"Well, what is Leviathan supposed to do about it?He can't retain them without breaking - "

"That is his own business.You'd be wise to stay out of it."

"I can't stay out of it," Rydia firmly informed him."Leviathan is my friend.I can't just stand by while - "

"There's nothing else you can do."

"Why are you being so - "

"Is there something else you require, Rydia?"

Rydia gawked at him for a furious moment.

"If you destroy Leviathan for attacking Jinn," she pointed out, "then _you're breaking the law, too."_

"And what, may I ask, can anyone do about that?"

"All I ask," Rydia begged, "is that you understand that Leviathan _has to act!"_

"He knows well what will happen if he does."

"Bahamut!!"

"Have a nice day, Rydia."

And he vanished. 

*

"Well?" Kuijata tensely inquired when she caught up with him.

She shook her head.

"I didn't think so."

"I don't know what we can do!" Rydia sighed."I cannot just stand by with all this.We have to come up with something."

"Like?" Leviathan asked, appearing beside them.

Rydia shrugged miserably.

"Don't worry so much," Leviathan assured her."We'll figure it out.Calm down, human."

"I?Calm down?What've you been sniffing, Leviathan?Yeah right!"

He was about to make a smart comment when a burst of fire shot through the air.

"_DO NOT INTERFERE!!!!" came an enraged shout._

Rydia looked up just in time to see Jinn jumping straight at her and had no chance to do anything other than scream.

She heard Kuijata's gasp as Leviathan snapped up his tail and slammed the renegade monster out of the air.

Jinn looked up at him, startled.

"You - "

"I," Leviathan snapped, "have a limit."

A blast of light blinded them all for a moment.

"As do I," came the deep voice Rydia had been chatting with only minutes earlier.

"Bahamut!!" she shrieked."Don't - "

He paid her no heed, and MegaFlare shot through the air, connecting with the Serpent.

"Ow," Leviathan mumbled.

Bahamut grabbed him around the neck with one clawed hand and slammed him into the mountain which was conveniently located right next to him, dropped him unceremoniously on the ground, and vanished.

Jinn somewhere figured he'd better leave.

"_Leviathan!!" _

Rydia and Kuijata bolted to his side, unsure of what to do.

He was still alive.

For some reason, Bahamut hadn't killed him like he said he would.

Shaking, Rydia Summoned Asura to heal him.

"He didn't even fight back," Kuijata murmured as the Queen appeared and, shocked, saw to Curing the serpent.

"He knew better," Rydia quietly replied."If he had, Bahamut definitely would've killed him."

Kuijata frowned.

"Couldn't he have won?"

"Huh?"

"How do we know Leviathan couldn't defeat Bahamut?"

"I . . . don't know.That's just not the way it is."

"I see."


	8. In Which, the Princesses get into a squa...

7)---------- In Which, the Princesses get into a squabble

7)---------- In Which, the Princesses get into a squabble.

"So," Cid inquired, barging in on breakfast in the Castle, "what's the plan? Are we attacking yet?"

"No, not yet," Kain brightly replied."Hey, did you happen to see the cat on your way in?"

"What cat?"

"The cat.The black one:

**_ _**

**_Chika the Malevolent."_**

"Um . . . no.Cecil, when are we getting my Airships back?"

"Just as soon as we figure out how," Cecil blandly informed him."Now will you calm down and eat something?"

Cid blinked.

"He's telling _me to calm down!" he observed to Kain."Imagine!What's wrong with this picture?Am __I the one who's been fretting for a good portion of this story?"_

"Hey!" Cecil snapped, blinking."I have _not been fretting!"_

Kain brandished a tableknife.

"Both of you clam up!Don't make me use this!" he warned.

Cecil and Cid stared at the utensil for a moment before breaking out laughing.

Somehow, the decision to go to war had lifted a load off everyone.It had been decided.Now they had only to act upon it, and this mess would be straightened out.

Chewing on a piece of overcooked bacon, Kain debated over what he should do.He hadn't been kidding when he'd voiced his desire to take Toroia's entire army down single-handedly.In fact, after witnessing what they'd done to Cecil during his captivity, he was all set to do just that.

But the matter remained of the ability Forciara had awakened in him.Did he trust himself to actually fight?

_Dang it.All these stupid ethics.Is it right to use this power, can I handle__ using this power, or should I sit in a corner for the rest of my life and . . . raise chickens?_

In any case, he intended to find the cat as soon as he finished eating.

Cid's mother came along and dumped another load of burned bacon on his plate.

"Eat, Boy," she snapped.

He sighed.There were some battles he knew he couldn't win.

Cecil crunched on his own piece of charred bacon thoughtfully.

"You know, Kain, I've been thinking about this whole Empathy bit," he informed the other.

"Oh?"Kain raised an eyebrow."Imagine that.So have I."

"Astonishing.Anyway, I see no reason why it should change anything."

Kain dropped his bacon.

"See no reason why it should change anything?!" he repeated, shocked."Um . . . I beg to differ, Your Majesty."

"No, really!" Cecil objected."For this reason: we were both trained by a guy with a whole load of weird powers.Even now, we don't know the extent of what he could do.But he wasn't afraid to use them, and it never discredited him.In fact, as I recall, we trusted him rather well."

Kain had to concede to that, even as something stirred in the back of his brain.

"But I'm not exactly Rorunar."

"Not exactly.But you're sworn to defend the Kingdom, right?"Cecil waved a fork at him."By any means necessary?"

"Touché!" Kain exclaimed, striking the fork with his beloved tableknife."Just the excuse I was looking for!What say we kick some Toroian bum and be back in time for lunch?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!Um . . . shall we maybe let the army in on this while we're at it?"

"Do we really need them?"

"For show, if nothing else."

"I see."

Rosa shook her head.

"Remind me again why I hang around with you two."

Kain reached over and messed up her hair.

"Because we're irresistibly cute, and you know it."

"I'll fracture your skulls!"

"Really?Good, I'm about ready for my weekly skull-fracturing."

"Kain . . . shut up.Just shut up."

"Ma!" Cid yelled."You burned the bacon!"

*

Cecil, Kain, Torram, and Jason were huddled around a large map of the world later that day when Rosa nudged her way in.

"What-cha doin'?" she softly inquired of Cecil.

"Making up an attack plan."

"Why don't you just go after them?"

Torram mumbled something and Cecil glared at him.

"We got our people back," he explained to her, "but they still have our Airships."

Rosa made a pained expression.

"Right.I'd forgotten.Um . . . what do you propose doing about that?"

"We propose moving in on land," Kain promptly supplied."Toroia's ground forces were never up with our own."

"It's been a long time since we've ever fought Toroia," Rosa almost snapped."And who's to say our own ground forces haven't gone down-hill?No offense to you or your people, but haven't we gotten a bit spoiled with our Air Force?"

"Only those in the Redwings have been spoiled by the Redwings," Jason absently replied, still scrutinizing the map."You know, we could move in on chocobos."

"Good idea," Cecil decided."Kain, how many of your people can ride a chocobo?"

"Mmm . . . I could give you maybe 14, Cecil.Honestly, there are very few who I think I'd prefer mounted to not.I think maybe we'd do better on the ground or in the air."

"Okay . . . Jason?"

"We can fight mounted."

"So between us, we've got everything covered."

Rosa tapped her foot.

"Until they start pounding you with our Airships."

Kain blinked slowly.

"Euh . . . we've worked that out, too."

Cecil turned to him, startled.

"Have we really?"

Kain nodded, looking a bit self-conscious.

"Lori's idea, actually.When Eblan attacked a few years back, he asked me if it would be possible to Jump an Airship."

Rosa gaped at him.When she recovered, she realized that others were gaping at him as well.

"You want to Jump an Airship?!" Cecil repeated, dumbfounded."Isn't that a bit . . . stupid?"

"No, not really.We've worked at it, figured out a way to get the added altitude to reach."

"So, okay," Cecil flubbered, still astounded by this concept."You figure out a way to get the needed altitude, what the heck are you going to do once you get up there?!They'll have a full crew on board.You can only fight one person at a time."

Kain set his Items pouch on the table and, one by one, pulled out a series of objects.

A Bolt Plume.An Ice Crystal.An S. Pole and a Zeus' Rage.

"These are just what I have on me now," Kain told them as they looked at the objects without comprehension."I don't use magic, you all know that.So I'm compensating.We get aboard and let 'em have it before they even know we're latched on.While they're trying to Cure everyone, we just get up there and finish taking them out."

"Too simple.It'll never work," Rosa decided.

"Look at how they got us in the first place," Torram sighed."That was pretty simple . . . and we utterly fell for it."

Cecil gingerly poked at the Bolt Plume and snapped his hand back as it gave him a severe electric shock.

"Where do you find this stuff?" he inquired.

Kain shrugged.

"Around."

"Would this also explain where my daughter came up with that unusual Ring she won't go anywhere without?"

"Yes, I suppose it would."

"What's it do?She babbled something about being safe from lightning."

"Automatically casts WALL."

Rosa blinked.

"WALL?Kain, that's a stinkin' high level spell."

"I know."

"How much damage does one of these things do?" Jason asked, turning the Ice Crystal over in his hands.

"Depends on which one you have.Most of the ones I have average at level 2 damage points."

"This sucker casts LIT2?" Rosa asked, pointing at the Plume with disbelief.

Kain grinned.

"Care to find out the hard way?"

"Um . . . no."

"I see why you took out those Toroian Guards so easily now.Okay, so you really think your people could take down an Airship?" Cecil asked, bringing them back to the important question.

Kain frowned slightly.

"It won't be easy.Not many of them would be able to get the necessary altitude.But I think enough of us can that we could pull it off."

Cecil stared at the map.

"I can't say I'm fond of the idea.But if you think it'll work, we'll have to give it a shot.We're certain to face off against the Redwings at one point or another."

"Don't forget," Torram quietly reminded him."We still have a few of them.And we could bring back the ones out by remote control and at least fight on our own grounds."

"Then we could move against Toroia without worrying about them," Jason agreed.

Cecil blinked and turned to Kain, who nodded slowly.

"Of course . . . if something goes wrong, they'll end up right where they could bomb us out of existence."

"Which they could do at any time anyway," Cecil sighed."The sooner we go at them, the better chance we have."For a moment, he was silent, thinking.

"Get your men ready, guys.We're attacking tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Rosa gasped."Cecil that's nearly no time at all to prepare!"

He shrugged.

Kain laughed.

" 'So anyway, we're going to war tomorrow.Sleep well,' " he quoted, popping a slight accent.

Jason and Cecil got a chortle out of that, while Rosa and Torram looked at them like they were nuts.

"Um," Cecil stammered, regaining his composure." . . . inside joke."

Torram threw his hands up in the air.

"You know, this is not fair!Just because the three of you came from Sir Rorunar's same batch of goons - "

"_Dragoons," Jason quietly corrected._

" - you think you can rule the rest of us with your little inside jokes?!"

"Well," Cecil replied."I _am King."_

Torram looked sheepish.

"Oh yeah.I forgot for a moment there, Sir."

"Torram . . . shut up.Kain!"

"Sir!"

"Why aren't your people ready to fight mounted?Isn't that the point of training 'em on polearms?"

"The point of training them on polearms is so that they can _fight with polearms.You should know - you were with the Dragoons for a time - can __you fight 'em out with a spear?"_

"I . . . was always better on a sword, Kain, you know that."

"And my people can fight pretty well on a chocobo with swords.Still, not as well as they do on the ground with Lances."

"Um . . . do you intend to fix this in the near future?"

"I guess."

Cecil blinked.

"Tell me, Kain . . . how are _you at fighting mounted?"_

"I, Cecil, am among the most elite Dragoons on the face of this fine planet."

"Kain, with the exception of the 21 people you've trained, you're the _only Dragoon on the face of this fine planet."_

"What's your point?"

"Great," Rosa muttered."We are _so going to get our butts kicked at this rate."_

*

Lori and Cami wasted no brain cells trying to figure everything out.All they knew was that their great leader was back from his unusual departure of duty, albeit still without the promised explanation for his absence, and they were going to battle the next day.

They, along with the rest of the army, stood at attention and absorbed the plan.

"Sir," Thomas asked gingerly, "are we _all supposed to Jump the ships?"_

Kain grinned slightly, fully aware of Thomas' repeated failure at this task.

"No.Those who think they can make it, by jingo, had better go.Those who are pretty much certain they can't, well, why bother?

"You'll be needed on the ground.To give the others altitude, if nothing else.If those Jumping make it up, go with it.If you miss, try again as soon as you're able.If we can't get the Redwings back under our control, Toroia has us at a greater disadvantage than we've been at for a long time."

"Could they really conquer us?" Lori asked, somewhat skeptically.

Fixing him with a light glare, Kain offered no comment for a moment.

"It's hard to say," he replied at last."But even if we manage to fight them off, it may end up being to defend a charred mass of ash instead of a Kingdom.None of you have really ever seen the destructive power of an Airship.You know, however, that Damcyan and Eblan, and even we are still rebuilding, even now.Don't fool yourselves and think us to be so much greater."

Lori shuddered and questioned his master no further.

Cami, however, was another story.

"Sir," he pointed out, "you told King Cecil we'd flog 'em with things like Bolt Plumes and the like while attacking._We have no such things."_

Kain grinned again.

"Not at this exact moment," he acknowledged."This shall, however, be quickly rectified.C'mon, boys!It's Christmas in June!Claim your gifts!"

***

While this was going on, it is within my right, as recorder of this tale, to leave our dear squadron of Dragoons to their task of parceling out the Items Kain felt necessary to the task before them, and move instead to a different area of Baron's geography.

Forciara, the Toroian Princess in question, had her thoughts filled with unsavory ideas, having managed to piece together everything that was going on.While she was quite aware that Cecil did not seem willing to hand her over to her people, she found herself unable to relax and wait out events for a simple reason: Maylara was in Toroian custody.

The situation interpreted to her as follows: Cecil and his people were willing to keep her, Forciara, protected from her belligerent aunts, yet were making no attempt to rescue her mother.They would, however, be making a strike of some sort - she, along with most of the Kingdom, was not aware of exactly what sort of strike this was going to be - in order to reclaim their Airships.This would, undoubtedly (in her eyes), make the Toroian Clerics rather unhappy, and quite likely to do something unpleasant to her parental figure.And as she saw it, there was nothing the Baronians were going to do about it.

Perhaps she was right, perhaps not.Perhaps Cecil's motivation was a Kingdom full of people, while hers was a certain family member, and while one would think she would realize the priorities in question, Forciara herself felt no obligation whatsoever to the nation which had taken her under protection.

No, she fully intended to take matters into her own hands, and if it was at severe cost to Baron, so be it.

It was true, she could never quite bring herself to give way to such thoughts in Cecil's presence.There was still something very audible in his countenance which kept her at bay, even when she was deliberately _not reading him, and she didn't dare cross him.Not in person, anyway._

Taking this as a sign that she was simply going to be forced to stoop very, very low, she quickly made her plan and began almost instantly to put it into action.

Princess Veronica looked up at her as she entered the royal nursery, not registering a large amount of surprise.

"Hello!" she greeted with a child's joy at seeing a recognizable face."Have you come to play?"

"Yes, Veronica Dear," Forciara cooed, glancing at the nurse for confirmation.

The poor nurse, Sandra-mathe, really could think of no plausible reason to send the Princess away, although she had been warned to keep a close eye on her, and an even closer one on Veronica.Actually, she was puzzled enough trying to figure out how to space her eyes out to do this, and eventually thought she'd figured it out.

"You," she directed Forciara, "stand here."

This said while she directed Forciara next to where Veronica sat with a stuffed chocobo toy as large as she was.

Confused, Forciara did as she was bid, and Sandra placed herself in front of them so that Veronica was sitting just a bit closer to her than was her Toroian counterpart.

"There," she pronounced, feeling very proud of herself.

Forciara blinked.

"Are you . . . stupid?"

"I think not!" Sandra retorted, her eyes flashing."I may not be as clever as some . . . but I'm not as foolish as others!"

"Good for you!" Forciara snapped, promptly lashing out, kicking the nurse in the head and knocking her out cold."And now it doesn't matter - because no one yet has managed to accurately measure the intelligence of the subconscious mind!"

Veronica watched with wide eyes.

"What - "

"Don't you worry, Dearest," Forciara consoled."It was time for her nap."For a moment, she gazed at the child, thinking.The little Baronian returned the gaze, confused."In fact . . . we probably shouldn't disturb her."

Veronica still looked confused, but didn't resist as her older companion easily lifted her up in one arm.

"Where are we going?" she inquired.

Forciara smiled, again, a smile that would have chilled the blood of anyone a bit more knowledgeable in the ways of evil.Again, Veronica payed no need.

"We're going to meet a friend of mine, darling."

*

A year ago, when Maylara and her daughter had fled Toroia, it was not without aid.Rather, the Cleric had sought the aid of a team of Raiders who owed her a favor.The overall consensus had been:

"Screw your favor - we're not going to take on the whole Kingdom."

Three, however, agreed to help the pair, and did so.It was to these three that Forciara now fled to - in particular, a Raider named Marnak, who had been of particular value in their exodus.

Forciara found it surprisingly easy to smuggle herself and her small captive out of the Castle.Most likely, as she reflected, this was due to the fact that those who would have stopped her, (and her thoughts lingered on Kain and his power she had triggered) were involved up to their necks with attack plans for her homeland.

This was a good thing.

Veronica, completely unsuspecting, went along with it.

***

Baron was, with no question, the largest and mightiest nation on the Earth.

And, as Cecil stood atop the highest of the Castle towers, requiring some fresh air after all the planning being done inside realized, it was up to him to protect it all.

If anything went wrong, it was on his head.

He ground his teeth.

Stress.

Four years ago, when he'd led the battle against Zeromus, it had been for the fate of the world and the life of every creature that drew breath.This was different, though.This was not a battle between a tiny party of rebels and a great evil from another world.Though it may have meant the destruction of humanity and then some, the blame for Zeromus destroying their world would not have been so much on his head as this was now.Anyone who would point fingers would, after all, have to admit that they themselves had done nothing.Directly, he was not responsible for them.

It wasn't only his life and that of a few trusted individuals he was taking onto this battlefield, however.He was taking with him an entire nation.The largest and mightiest nation on the Earth.

He ground his teeth again.

Stress.

If all didn't go smoothly, there was going to be heck to pay.

Everyone was fine with him ruling Baron.Paladin Cecil - saved the world from alien onslaught and destruction.

Fine.

Until he screwed up.

"Cecil!" came a sharp voice that cut through his reverie.He turned and saw Kain, of course, standing behind him.

"What?" he bleakly asked.

"You're getting nervous, aren't you?"

Cecil groaned.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes.Oh, don't be so upset.Sure, if we screw up this attack in the morning, the Kingdom will fall and thousands of citizens of Baron will be screaming for your traitorous head on a pike, but if I were you, I wouldn't worry."

"Really."

"Yes!Because, you see, we are not going to lose."

Cecil glowered at him.

"I'm finding it impossible to take this lightly, Kain.This isn't your neck on the line.I call the attack - every death is my fault."

"No, it's _their fault for being silly enough to join __your army.Don't go getting depressed on me, Cecil.I may be forced to annoy you."_

Indeed, Cecil was starting to feel annoyed, which was rare.Normally, the Dragoon's sarcasm did nothing to daunt his rationality.

"Did you need something?" he asked, gritting his teeth again.

"Yes," Kain brightly replied."I bear a message from Her Majesty, Rosa, Queen of Baron, Master Wizard of White Magic, to His Majesty, Cecil, King of Baron and all related suburbs, Paladin, White Mage, Conqueror of Zeromus, Master of all armies within, keeper of the honor of all citizens of Baron."

Cecil blinked.

"You make that up, right?"

"No, as a matter of fact, you _did get a letter with that heading the other day."_

"Why didn't I see it?"

"Rosa pitched it.Said it was junk mail."

"I see.So what does Her Majesty have to say?" 

"She said, and I quote: 'Kain, tell Cecil that if he's getting nervous, to not!If I know him, he's obsessing over his responsibility to protect every member of this Kingdom and the fact that a good many of them will likely be slaughtered tomorrow.They enlisted, it's their own fault, not his.We all know what's on the line if we don't go through with this attack.Get it through his skull, Kain, even if you have to be downright annoying about it.' "Kain paused and grinned weakly.

Cecil, all traces of annoyance gone, had to laugh.

"I didn't think I was so predictable," he admitted.

"Well, she _is your wife," Kain assured him._

He nodded.

"Was there anything else in Her Majesty's message?"

"Yes.Quote: 'When you finish with all that, tell him to get down here and get some sleep.We all know what Cecil's like when he tries to get by on three hours.I shudder to think if he attempts to lead a battle in such condition.'Unquote."

"I really _am predictable."_

"Don't worry about it.She then proceeded to inform me that if I, as well as every other general, captain, and whoever else happened to be in the room did not do likewise, she was going to have us hung upside down from trees."

"I see."

"Yeah . . . I never should have mentioned that recurring nightmare."

"The one where you're a Dark Warlord of the Nether-realm, held in disgrace by your Emperor, hung upside down from a tree-like object in a large cart as punishment?"

"Exactly.Goodnight, Cecil."

Cecil just shook his head at the Dragoon, who turned and exited down the stairs as he had come - with not the slightest sound of his passing.

He remained for a few moments, turning things over in his head and trying not to fret.Then, with a final sigh, he turned to obey the order of the Queen.

Kain nearly floored him as he reached the floor below in his rush to find him again.

"What - "

"Cecil!Verny's gone, and so is Forciara!"

Cecil stared at him uncertainly.

"You're . . . kidding me, right?"

"No."

"No, really.You're joking."

"Cecil, you know well that I would never dare joke about something like this."

A Castle Guard appeared on the scene.

"Your Majesty!" he breathlessly greeted Cecil, who turned an evil glare on him."Sandra-mathe's regaining consciousness!Queen Rosa sent me to find you - "

"Regained consciousness?!Was she knocked out?"

The Guard threw a look to Kain, confused.

"Y-yes, Sir.I thought you knew - "

"I'm just now finding out about any of this.Now you two are telling me that my daughter is gone, her nurse knocked out, and our renegade Toroian Princess vanished?"

"Not entirely vanished," Kain softly cut in."As I was informed a moment ago, all belongings she had are gone as well.She planned her departure.Verny, on the other hand, did not."

Cecil stared at him again, this time his uncertainty replaced by a cold determination.

"So what you're saying is that Forciara has kidnapped my daughter."

"I - "

"Is that what you're saying?"

Kain swallowed.

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Cecil stared a moment longer, then turned to the Guard.

"What's being done?"

"Th-the Castle's being searched, and - "

"Not good enough.Send the Guard into the City.Close the gates to the Castle and City both.Kain, get your people outside.They couldn't have gotten too far - when was the last time they were seen?"

Kain blinked.

"Euh - Sandra would be able to tell you most accurately."

"Then let's go see what Sandra has to say."

Cecil turned stiffly and led the way down the corridor, the Guard and Dragoon following, exchanging uncertain glances.

"Do you have a problem with that?!" Cecil demanded, whirling on them, sensing their uncertainty.

"Cecil," Kain haltingly reminded him, "we can't spread out our forces.Tomorrow we have a battle.We need everyone we have."

Cecil's eyes registered understanding, and he turned without another word and continued to question the last person to have seen the Princess of Baron.

Kain watched him go, not envying his position, and debating over what form of torture he was going to put the Toroian through once he caught her.

***

By this time, as the sun was setting, Forciara had made contact with her old friend, Marnak, the Raider she knew well from her exodus of Toroia.Little had changed about him - his flaming hair and bright red eyes still made her cringe to look upon him directly, and she really had little or no reason to trust him.

She had little choice, however, and in any case, felt she had something to offer him that he wouldn't want to refuse.

The Raider looked the little Princess over with his hot red gaze and raised an eyebrow at the Toroian.

"A bit risky, wasn't it?Kidnapping the Baronian Princess?Not to mention melodramatic.What do you intend to do with her?"

"I will take her to my Aunts," Forciara promptly explained."I will offer the Baronian in exchange for my mother."

"You think they'll honestly buy it?"

"They are at war now.At war with Baron.And this will give them an edge like they couldn't have hoped for.Cecil wouldn't stand for them to hold his daughter, not after he witnessed firsthand how they treat their prisoners."

"I see.So what exactly do you require my services for, Your Highness?"

She blinked darkly.

"I am a Princess.Running around the hills lugging around this squalling Bundle of Baronian Joy is not to my liking.I need you to make arrangements for all that must take place. A meeting between myself and the Toroian Clerics, passage from here to there, and lodgings during the meanwhile.And protection if Cecil comes after me."

He nodded, sitting back in a wicker chair in the darkened room they were talking in.Since his departure with two others from the band of Raiders he'd been initiated into, he'd expanded somewhat into his own powerful, if small, tribe of bandits, complete with a base dug into the side of a large hill near the entrance to the Misty Cave.It had taken Forciara several hours on her stolen chocobo to get here, and it was fortunate for her that she knew exactly where she was going, or she may have never found him.

"Of course.You want my protection.Well, Your Highness, fond memories aside, why should I be doing you any favors?"

"You served my mother," she stiffly replied.

"Your mother payed me rather well, as I recall."

Now Forciara allowed a cruel grin to touch her lips.

"Of course, my Aunts will be obliged to pay whatever I may request in order to obtain this child.Surely you would settle for seventy percent of whatever price we agree upon."

"Seventy percent?!Are you mad, Forciara, or just stupid?"

"I'm not in this for the money, Marnak.I want my mother back."

"I see.And what do you intend to do after you've succeeded, providing, of course, that I go along with this?"

"I intend to vanish once again.May I count on your help?"

"That depends on the price for the Princess."

"I'm quite certain that it will be satisfactory."

"Then I am quite certain we can make you disappear to your liking," he confirmed with a grin."Now, in the meantime, what do you propose we do with _her?"_

"Her" he said with a point to the baby Princess Forciara held in her lap.

Forciara shrugged.

"She'll be happy as long as she's fed.She's only two - she doesn't know what's going on."

The Baronian Princess Veronica decided, at that moment, to intercede on her own behalf.

"I want my mother," she declared with the authority that usually won her whatever she demanded.

"She's not here, Dear," Forciara absently told her.

Verny blinked, astonished that her decree be so lightly brushed off.

"I . . . want my mother.And my daddy.Where's Daddy?"

Marnak winced.

"Can't you shut her up?"

"Me?Aren't _you the one with the magic around here?"_

Marnak sighed and rapidly spoke a chant, satisfied as a green flash engulfed the Baronian.

"I want Daddy!" Veronica persisted, much to the shock of the two older people.

Forciara whirled on Marnak.

"Didn't you just silence her?"

Marnak opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out.Growing frantic, he began to go through the motions of general panic.

"Calm down!" Forciara yelled."She must be WALLed - how else could the Silence have gone back to you?"

He shrugged.

"Veronica, Honey," Forciara began in a gentle voice, hoping to coax an explanation out of the Princess.

Verny, however, was running out of patience.

"DA-DDYYYYYYYYYYY!!!" she wailed.

Marnak fished through a drawer in the desk at which he sat, came out with an Echo Screen, used it on himself, and harrumphed loudly.

"I would really like to know how she could be WALLed," he seethed to Forciara."Any spell on her would have worn off in the time it took you to get here."

"I dunno what's up with her!" Forciara objected."What're you so worried about?All that means is that we can't shut her up with magic.Give me a rag, I'll gag her."

Veronica was now running out of her temper as well.

"I WANT MY MOM!!" she screamed, kicking and beating at Forciara until the Toroian, overwhelmed and startled by this attack, loosened her grip enough that the little Baronian was able to wriggle free and take off running.

Marnak was having none of it.

"Such heroics from such a tiny creature," he sighed with something akin to admiration as he rose, took three long strides, caught the struggling Princess under one arm, and tossed her back into Forciara's lap."Try to hold onto her this time," he blandly suggested."We'll tie her up.Let me find some rope."

***

Enraged and outraged as he was, Kain knew he was going to be in dire need of a clear head the following day, particularly since it seemed that Cecil was now anything _but clearheaded._

Not that Kain blamed him one bit for wanting to take every soldier in the Kingdom and send them out after Forciara, and send every peasant with a pitchfork in search of Veronica (or perhaps vice versa).But again, he forced himself to think objectively.

They were fighting Toroia tomorrow.Then, once they'd finished that, they could turn their forces to the recovery of the Princess.

And so, propping his two Lances up against the wall next to his bed, he forced himself to sleep.

)))))-----DREAM SEQUENCE #3-----(((((

This dream would stand out in his mind forever.

The very instant his subconscious obtained full control of his mind, whatever dreaming may have been beginning was thrown aside roughly, almost painfully.

"You are out of time!"

Kain blinked and found himself standing on top of the tower he'd been chattering with Cecil on top of only an hour ago, face to face with the man who had been interceding in his dreams in these past days.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Kain, while I realize that it's not always possible to retain a dream with unusual waking circumstances, the fact is that unless you manage to pull this together by tomorrow morning, there is going to be one big mess in Baron."

"What can I do?" he demanded."Cecil's on the fritz.He was nervous before, now he's on panicked and enraged, and no one can blame him, and no one can certainly calm him down enough to lead this attack tomorrow."

"Wrong, son of Phil!" Rorunar snapped."Or have you perhaps forgotten the very subject of the last two conversations we've had?"

Kain blinked.

"Huh?"

"Your power is not merely one of perception, Kain.I thought you realized that.You can not merely look into the hearts of those around you and piece together whatever you may need to know.You can _inflict emotions_.That's the whole point."

Kain blinked again.

"I . . . knew that."

"Then why haven't you done anything?"Rorunar drew his Lance - the Lance which Kain had recently found in his floorboards - and drew Kain close with the other hand."This is going to leave you with quite a headache when you wake up, I'm afraid.I've tried not to seize your subconscious too harshly - it can sometimes cause serious side effects that I'd not wish upon you or anyone else.But there's little choice left."He shoved the Lance into Kain's hands, the latter yelping involuntarily at the spark of energy that zapped him through the shaft."This is your weapon.As of yet, you've used it as little more than any other fancy polearm.It's not.It's a source of power.You can do unspeakable damage, and in this case, you're going to have to do so.The full scope of your powers is about to be realized, whether you like it or not."

"What do you mean?" Kain demanded, by this time completely confused.

Rorunar looked at him for a long moment and finally grinned slightly.

"I see you haven't progressed much in the area of common sense.Kain, you are about to go through one of your most violent days of battle ever - so much so for the simple reason that both counts are extremely close to your heart.You must fight the Toroians, and you must do so cautiously despite your desire to render each of them limb from limb as retribution for their treatment of Cecil and the others.As soon as this is completed, you're going to have to go after the Princess.That is your duty, there's no way you can escape going after her, even if you wanted to.Which, I feel, you don't.The anger you feel, the fury towards those who have hurt those dear to you cannot be allowed to cloud your brain, and in this, you're doing very well.

"What you're not realizing is that this fury, this very anger, is the weapon with which you may destroy your enemies.Don't calm yourself, don't lose that edge.Use it.Use it to vaporize the stupid jerks!"

Kain stared dumbly at the weapon in his hands.

"Um . . . exactly how am I supposed to do that?"

"I can't explain it, Kain.You should know that I can't.It's not something that _can be explained with words."_

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

"Because I can't help you until you manage to acknowledge me.Even then, I'm not sure how much I can do.My powers are not now what they once were, nor what they will be again.I told you before, however, that I would guide you.And I will.

"The weapon you hold in your hands is not there by chance.I didn't leave it for you in the random hope that someday you'd find it.Your gift has surfaced.Without it, you wouldn't have ever found the Venus Gospel, and without the Venus Gospel, the full scope of your gift can't be realized.When it tells you to do something, then by jingo, do it!"

Kain looked up at him, startled.

"It . . . hasn't told me to do anything."

Rorunar sighed and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"You haven't been listening."

"I'm listening now."

"Remember, Kain, that this is a dream."

"Which means what?None of this is real?"

"No.What I'm telling you is very real, as is my presence in your mind.This tower, though, the area around us, the weapon in your hands, is just an extension of your subconscious and the tweaking I'm doing in your brain."

"Um . . . I kinda thought you were dead."

"Cecil told you I wasn't."

"He told me that a ghost told him that you'd survived somewhat.How are you here?"

"Kain, you're stalling, and that will only leave a painful effect for yourself.Every moment this dream continues will only contribute to the migraine you're going to receive.There is little else I can tell you.The important thing here is, though, that you will remember."

Kain looked at him incredulously.

"Remember _what?!I don't get the point of all this!"_

Everything swam and merged together into a great blob.

*

He rubbed his eyes, and found himself lying in his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Startled, Kain sat up and instantly winced at the searing pain through his skull.

_You weren't kidding about that headache . . . he thought.Then it struck him._

_Of course. That__ was the point of it all.Simply so that I'd remember when I woke up - which I finally do.I wonder how he managed to "tweak" my brain enough for it to happen . . . that was nothing__ like a normal dream._

Sighing and bracing himself against the throbbing agony in his head, he eased himself to his feet and reached for the Venus Gospel, grasping it heavily in his hands and collapsing on the floor unceremoniously with a thud.He could hardly see, the pain was so great.

Tapping every ounce of his will remaining in his body, he concentrated on the weapon in his hands.

_So, what is it that you're supposed to be telling me . . . _

It pulsed in his grasp.Fleeting through his memory went the tales of Masamune snatching control of Edge's body when he questioned it too closely, possessing him entirely, but he got the feeling that whatever power this weapon had, it had no intention of harming him.

His vision swam before him, and he realized that he could no longer actually feel the shaft he gripped.Or did he still hold it at all?The pain thundering through his mind was more than he could fight . . . it was like trying to walk when your leg's fallen asleep.His whole body was going numb.

After a brief, excruciating moment, unconsciousness gripped him, carrying him away from the agonized body he called his own, away on a current of warmth and comfort.

A presence whispered at the edge of his awareness.

"_I warned you: the mother of all headaches."_

Kain did not deem it worthwhile to rouse his brain enough to answer.He nodded vaguely with some still-active portion of his being.

"_That's all right . . . rest now.You'll know what to do in the morning . . . but you'll be no good to any of us if you're still in this state.I'll do what I can."_

The dream-wind that had encompassed him enfolded him completely, leaving no trace of awareness in his body, all but removing his consciousness into a vast state of simple being.

No dreaming.No thinking.

Just being.

Perfectly assured that this was where he was meant to be.When the time came for him to awaken and be elsewhere, he would know.For now, as his mind repaired itself from the subconscious contact which had caused more strain on his mind than he would have imagined, his being was content just to be.

"_Sleep well.It will seem an eternity before you're permitted to do so again."_

***

Somewhere, far into the night, Cecil dispatched a messenger with an urgent message for the Caller Rydia.


End file.
